University community continues Haitian relief efforts

Events across the UW–Madison campus continue to provide support for Haitian earthquake relief. Thousands of dollars worth of donations have poured in already, as the university community responds to the devastation in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

On Jan. 28 alone, two events generated nearly $10,000 in aid for the Haitian People. The Associated Students of Madison’s Day of Action netted $7,765. For more information, contact Tom Templeton of ASM at ttempleton@wisc.edu.

On the same day, a dance party sponsored by WSUM at the Majestic Theater raised another $2,000.

“I take great pride in how our campus community has responded to the unfolding tragedy in Haiti,” says UW–Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin. “Together, we continue to make a difference by being generous with our time and our donations. I’m thankful that our campus has rallied so strongly to this cause.”

Earlier, students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health have raised $6,700 to support residents of Haiti.

According to second-year student Bob Zemple, the cash will be used to support health care facilities run by Partners in Health, a group that provides medical care to underserved nations worldwide, and to purchase food, shelter and clothing for residents.

 “We raised the money by passing buckets around class, making donations at the Partners in Health Web site, and operating a baked goods stand where people would donate money and get free baked goods,” says Zemple. “It was an amazing experience to see everyone come together and contribute to a needy cause.”

Other key organizers included second-year students Kyle Pauly and Sean Duffy, and first-year student Anst-bidry Gelin, who is a native of Haiti.

Here are several examples of how students and staff are coming together in support of earthquake relief:

• From Feb. 8-12, the Accenture Leadership Center, Grainger Conference Services and various student organizations from the School of Business will sell wristbands and flowers to benefit the American Red Cross. Sales will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Atrium of Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave. Student organizations involved include Alpha Kappa Psi, Delta Sigma Pi and Society of Personal Investments. Alpha Kappa Psi has pledged to match any donation up to $750. For more information, contact the Accenture Leadership Center at alc@bus.wisc.edu.
• The School of Music’s chapter of Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA) is holding two fundraising concerts, aiming for a goal of $2,000. The first concert will be help on Thursday, Feb. 10 at the Steinway Gallery of Madison, 6629 Mineral Point Rd., at 7:15 p.m., while the second will take place on Saturday, Feb. 13 in the Mosse Humanities Building’s Morphy Hall, 455 N. Park St., at 6:30 p.m.

  Both concerts are free and unticketed, but donations will be accepted toward earthquake relief. Music will include works by Beethoven, Berg, Chopin, Copland, Schubert and Schumann. Receptions will be sponsored by Arts Enterprise of Madison and Panera Bread. For more information, contact Keith Hampton at assistantdirector@music.wisc.edu or search for “Music for Haiti” at http://music.wisc.edu/calendar.

• The Crossing, UW–Madison’s student ministry, is partnering with local singer-songwriter Bryan Sirchio in a Love for Haiti Benefit Concert on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. The show takes place at The Crossing, 1127 University Ave.  Sirchio has been involved with organizations in Haiti for 20 years; free will donations will go to selected NGOs working in Haiti. For more information, contact Karla Schmidt at karla@crossingministries.org.
•  The Actuarial Club encouraged members to donate during fundraising efforts on January 27. Members raised over $800 for the American Red Cross. For more information, contact Kevin Cucci at kcucci@wisc.edu.
• Slow Food UW has designated its first four dinners of the semester as fundraisers for Haiti relief. While three dinners have already taken place, the final dinner on Monday, Feb. 8 are still open. For more information, visit http://slowfooduw.org.
• The UW Libraries had already planned a spring film series, in honor of Black History Month, entitled “Haiti, Past and Present.” These five films will be shown on Tuesday evenings in the Commons area of the Memorial Library, 728 State St. For more information on the film series, visit http://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/haiti.

• Slow Food UW has designated its first four dinners of the semester as  fundraisers for Haiti relief. While two dinners have already taken place, the dinner Monday, Feb. 8 is still open. For more information, visit http://slowfooduw.org.

• The LaFollette School Student Association and the Law School’s Student Bar Association are teaming up for a joint change drive. Collection jars are located in the LaFollette student lounge and at the reference desk in the Law Library; all proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross. For more information, contact Rebecca McAtee at LaFollette (mcatee@wisc.edu) or Yesha Sutaria at the Law School (yesha.sutaria@gmail.com).
• The MadHatters men’s a capella group has donated $1,000 to Haitian relief through the Red Cross. In addition to $800 from the group’s own funds, members added their own money to round out the total amount.
• Ann Catlett, a physician with UW Health’s Select Hospitalist service, has worked with Theresa Soik and Mark Biwersi of the UW Medical Foundation and Juli Aulik of UW Health Public Affairs to send medical supplies from UWMF’s warehouse. These supplies are already in use after traveling to Haiti on Monday. Catlett is also working with Relief International to discuss strategies for organizing Wisconsin physicians in future efforts. For additional information, contact Catlett at ac2@medicine.wisc.edu.
• Janean Hill, an employee of the Space Science and Engineering Center, coordinates her local chapter of Project Linus, a national volunteer organization that makes blankets – quilted, crocheted, knit or otherwise — for seriously ill, injured or otherwise traumatized children. Project Linus has initiated an effort to donate 10,000 blankets to be shipped to children in Haiti. For more information, contact Hill via e-mail or phone (265-5577).

In addition to disaster relief efforts, some members of the community are stepping up their personal involvement with organizations that already have a presence in Haiti.

Laurie Schumacher Benson, administrative coordinator for academic affairs in the School of Medicine and Public Health, had been planning a medical mission trip to Haiti before the earthquake hit. For the past month, she has collected clothing, medical supplies and other items from staff and students at the Health Sciences Learning Center.

“Our original goal was to set up clinics outside of Les Cayes to treat over a thousand orphans and approximately 400 townspeople,” she says.  “Now, of course, our focus will be urgent and immediate care for all we can reach over our seven days in Haiti.”

Despite current difficulties, she reports that her group is still on track to leave in mid-February. To assist her efforts, e-mail lschumacher@wisc.edu.

One student group from a local church (The Journey), including Nick Mathias, had just left the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince 24 hours before the earthquake hit. With a personal connection to the orphanage he had helped build in Jacmel, about 30 miles from the capital, Mathias says that he and others working with The Journey will continue assisting these 32 children (all unharmed, though homeless) and their community. In one week, the group has raised $10,000 towards the $25,000 needed to rebuild. For more information, visit The Journey Web site and click on Haiti Relief.

Chancellor Martin, noting the university community’s long history of public service and generosity, is encouraging students, faculty and staff to play a role. Cash donations are currently being suggested as the most effective way people can lend their support. Numerous methods are available for donations:

• Donate to the International Red Cross disaster relief fund.
• Mobile users can text “Haiti” to 90999 and donate $10 to the American Red Cross, charged directly to their cellular phone bill. Millions of dollars have already been raised by this effort.
• Numerous other charities are also active in Haiti or pledging support. Interaction has complied a list of other recognized charities, should you want to contribute to a specific organization or agency.

If you are organizing such an effort on the Madison campus, or become aware of one, please e-mail chancellor@news.wisc.edu with details so it can be supported and publicized by the university.