As disaster relief teams work against time to save earthquake survivors in Haiti, Coast-based Rotary clubs, charitable organizations and individuals are digging deep into their pockets to fund relief efforts.
"The money came flying in, it really did," said local musician Michael Maser, who organized a musical fundraiser at Gibsons' Sunnycrest Mall Saturday afternoon, Jan.16, which raised $3,100 for the Red Cross's Haiti relief efforts - totalling $6,200, paired with federal matching funds, announced last week.
"Everybody wanted to help," Maser said. "Just an awful lot of $20s came into our vase."
Responding to the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which hit just outside Port-au-Prince Tuesday, Jan. 12, the federal government has pledged $135 million in aid, plus up to $50 million in matching funds, to double Canadians' donations to registered charities. The quake killed an estimated 200,000, injured 250,000, and left two million homeless, according to the European Economic Commission. A 6.1 magnitude aftershock hit 55 km northwest of the capital on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Maser, who plays guitar and harmonica with local bluegrass band The Duttons and is well-connected in the musical community, said it took only a few phone calls to drum up a roster of musicians who played everything from folk to bluegrass to jazz.
"Nobody said no," he said. "Just immediately everyone said, 'I'll be there.'"
Meanwhile, the Coast's Rotary clubs have started dispatching relief funds through a program called Shelter Box. Each box costs $1,000 and contains a 10-person tent, sleeping bags, blankets, cooking utensils, collapsible water containers, a water-purifying system, and crayons and toys for kids - everything it takes to set up a temporary home, said Darcy Long, president of the Rotary Club Sunshine Coast-Sechelt.
So far, Long said, her club has dispatched two shelter boxes, one paid for by the club and one covered by club members' individual donations.
Pender Harbour's Rotary Club has dispatched a further five boxes, at a cost of $5,000. The Rotary Club of Sechelt has sent two boxes and set aside $5,000 for further Haiti relief efforts.
"It doesn't matter where the need is, we like to think that we can help out in some way," Long said of Rotary's Coast-wide efforts which, paired with federal contributions, total $28,000 to date.
And natural disasters like this, she said, are particularly heart-rending: "They didn't have a chance. With a war you can blame the politicians or you can blame the religious leaders, but this is an act of nature, and everybody's a victim."
People wishing to donate to the Shelter Box program can do so through local Rotary clubs or at www.shelterbox.ca. Rotary is also encouraging donations to the Disaster Relief Rotary Action Group at www.drrag.org, which works with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
And Coast fundraising efforts don't stop there.
Blues musician Larrie Cook and his band will play a Haiti disaster relief fundraiser at Gilligan's Pub in Sechelt tonight, Friday, Jan. 22. He expects that other artists will join him - including Gaetan Bergevin and Joe Stanton. There will be no cover charge, but a donation bucket will circulate.
On Saturday, Jan. 23, a night of meditation and music will be held at Yoga by the Sea in Roberts Creek, with a suggested donation of $10, to support AMURT Canada, an aid organization that has been working in Haiti for more than 20 years.
"It's just so devastating when there were already orphans on the street and severe poverty and starvation happened, and then a natural disaster comes when they just had so little to begin with anyways," said Rachel Maietta, a director with AMURT who lives in Roberts Creek. "I think you almost just couldn't imagine what else could happen to a small country like this."
Donations to AMURT can be made at www.amurthaiti.org. Maietta invites Coast residents who are interested in helping co-ordinate Haiti relief efforts to contact her at [email protected] or 604-741-3510.
Roberts Creek Elementary School is holding a relief benefit Sunday, Jan. 31, in the school gym. The event will include live music, food booths, auctions and speakers. Anyone who can help with ideas or donations is invited to contact Barry Krangle at [email protected] or 604-885-9229.
The Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club is hosting a fundraiser on Jan. 31 with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament is a scramble format. You can enter as a team of four or let the club help you assemble a foursome. Entry fee is $50 per person. There will be a $5,000 hole-in-one prize donated by Blackfish Pub and Advantage Dental. Participants are asked to call the pro shop at 604-885-9212 to register.
A Coast group is also organizing a Hope for Haiti fundraiser Feb. 6, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Roberts Creek Hall. The evening will involve bands, DJs, food, a raffle and a silent auction. People who wish to donate to a silent auction and performers who want to volunteer their talents are asked to contact Zoe Barbaro-Hudson at [email protected].
You can also pledge support at www.Habitat.ca.
