What can you do at your camp, school, group or after school program?
Kids at the Bell After School Program in Massachusetts put their time and talents to good use making bracelets and key chains to raise funds to help Haiti. They raised $75 which can go a long way in a country where the average yearly income is only $1,300. Many people in Haiti work all day long and earn only $2 - that’s less than half the price of one movie ticket in
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South Woods Middle School in Syosset, New York organized Dancing With the Faculty (like Dancing With the Stars) and raised funds for Haiti through ticket and snack sales.
There were eight dance routines performed. At the end of the performances the audience voted by texting a code and choosing which dance they liked best. The dancers' countless hours of practice paid off in more ways than one. They helped raise money for an important cause and put all their skills to good use.
It takes many different kinds of talent to pull off a huge event like this, but we can see with determination, creativity, passion, and hard work so much is possible.
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Highly celebrated Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat elegantly tells us the story of Junior, a seven-year-old boy trapped beneath his house after the Port-au-Prince earthquake, and his joyous rescue.
Junior’s sparkling imagination helps him find the strength to survive for eight days beneath the rubble. This book illustrates the beauty and strength of the Haitian people even in the most difficult of times.
Click here (PDF), to read an interview with Eight Days author Edwidge Dantica
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Every kid has an inner talent. When you put yours to good use, you not only learn a lot but can help people along the way.
Emma B. Geller is 15, about to turn 16. She put her vocal and piano playing talents to fantastic use when she composed her own song, performed it on piano, and recorded it in a recording studio. She then designed a CD cover, burned CDs of her song and sold it in a small independent bookstore near her hometown. She carried copies with her where ever she went, and many friends, family, and people at her father’s work donated by buying the CD. To date Emma has raised an amazing $230 dollars. She said "I just felt so sad for the people of Haiti and I had to help."
On iTunes find Love to the World by Emma B. Geller.
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Full Price is a family band and has performed on various stages including the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston and The Early Show on CBS. The Price family shares a love of music. Sam, Max, Jack, and parents Susan and Rob formed the band in 2008.
While composing original songs for their debut CD, the Haiti earthquake struck. Among the many stories of loss, the Prices read about 9-year-old Haryssa Keem Clerge, who perished in the rubble. The tragic loss of this little girl inspired the band to write "Haryssa's Song." Its verses recall the lost children, and its hopeful refrain calls on listeners to help those who have survived.
In addition to using their music to raise consciousness about Haiti's plight, Full Price is raising funds for Haiti's future. In fact, 10% of the proceeds of their music sales are being donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.
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More than 400 members of the Public School 269 community in Brooklyn, NY ran a quarter of a mile to raise more than $3,000 for Haiti.
This Brooklyn neighborhood has a large Haitian population, and the students wanted to do something to help. As Justin Mercure, a 10-year-old Haitian-American fifth-grader, told
the New York Daily News, "I'm excited to get to run for my country." He raised $150 and said, "I asked everybody in my building. They were willing to help out."
Said fifth-grader Tiana Lacaille, "I feel good helping a country that I am not from, especially for my friends' families."
This community came together with the help of Mighty Milers, a New York Road Runners program that promotes fitness in city schools.
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The Student Government Association at Rachel Carson Elementary School in Gaithersburg, MD planned a school-wide walk-a-thon to benefit the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.
The SGA officers and representatives, with help from their faculty advisors, planned the event which raised $5,000. The walk started at the school and included a one-mile loop around their Kentlands neighborhood with more than 600 students, staff and parents coming out to support their effort.
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Cheerleaders from across the Coachella Valley in California came together and put their talent to good use by performing, raising awareness, and fundraising for the people of Haiti.
The event was at La Quinta High School, and close to 80 cheerleaders participated.
According to the Desert Sun, Katie Degnan a sixteen-year-old cheerleader said the event was "cool" and "well set up." She also mentioned something very important: "I hope that people realize that Haiti still needs help even though it has been several months." Raising Spirits for Haiti raised about $4,300 dollars. The cheerleaders learned a lot about how to put on an event and now hope to make it an annual affair.
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