Friday, January 22, 2010

Valley humanitarians mobilize to help Haiti

High school students plan fundraiser


By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

As the world tries to send relief to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, students, business owners and other residents of the Wood River Valley have opted to do their own fundraising.

Wood River Valley native Reed Lindsay, who is in Haiti as a reporter for the Telesur news group, is working on behalf of the Honor and Respect Foundation, a nonprofit group that he founded. Lindsay issued a statement from the foundation that all money donated as of Tuesday, Jan. 12, will be directed toward alleviating the suffering of the earthquake victims. The foundation is registered in Idaho to raise awareness and funds for grassroots groups in poor communities in Haiti.

"It's hard to see the end in sight," Lindsay wrote in a text message to his mother, Barbi Reed, on Wednesday, Jan. 20. "People are still vacating Port-au-Prince. They say some 80,000 have left. Hard to say what will happen. Haitians are so resilient—used to suffering. Yesterday, I saw a lot of resignation."

Lindsay texted that he is taking security very seriously and has hired two bodyguards for his work as a reporter. He said the rule is not to go out at night.

In Ketchum, Wendy Muir, owner of Globus restaurant, hosted a Help for Haiti night on Thursday, Jan. 21. Muir will give 20 percent of the evening's sales to help aid the Haitian earthquake victims.

In addition, CK's Real Food restaurant in Hailey will donate $1 for every meal purchased this week at lunch and dinner.

Wood River High School's AP English class has joined Apple's Bar and Grill in Warm Springs to host a fundraising party during Apple's annual Kitzbühel party on Saturday, Jan. 23, to watch the 70th International Hahnenkamm Race, one of the major ski races of the year. The party begins at 11:30 a.m. and race time is 2 p.m.

"We will have a table at the entrance, and a student has put together a slide show of earthquake images from Haiti," said Jill Seldhusen, an AP English student. "We want people to come with checkbooks so we can raise as much money as possible."

The students will wear Haitian flag-colored clothing and will select the Haitian relief organization they believe is best. Organizations under consideration are Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund, the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

"The day after the earthquake, the class brainstormed ideas on raising money," AP English teacher Amy McGraw said. "There will be friendly competition between the girls in dirndls and the students in Haitian wear to raise more money."

Other fundraising efforts include a donation by the Sun Valley/Ketchum Rotary Club, whose members voted Tuesday to donate $1,500 to humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. The donations include $1,000 to purchase a Shelterbox, a self-contained emergency shelter unit.

The unit includes a 10-person tent to be used as emergency accommodation and other survival essentials. ShelterBox, a charity initiated by Rotarians, has established three operational centers in Haiti to help distribute assistance to the estimated 1 million or more people left homeless by the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. For details, visit http://shelterboxusa.org/.

The Rotary Club also voted to donate $500 to Lindsay's Honor and Respect Foundation.

The nonprofit Americans for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, is on the ground in Haiti with maternal health relief. An update from the organization stated that with hospitals and health facilities destroyed, pregnant women are at great risk for childbirth complications and death. The Family of Women Film Festival, an annual film festival in Ketchum, raises awareness and money for UNFPA.

The festival will take place Saturday, Feb. 27, and Sunday, Feb. 28. Events leading up to the film festival will begin Wednesday, Feb. 10. For details on UNFPA and its relief effort in Haiti, visit unfpa.org.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com




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