By Elijah Mckenzie
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, University of Louisville students will be asked to show compassion and support for the people of Haiti at the upcoming Hearts for Haiti benefit lunch on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Red Barn.
The Hearts for Haiti benefit follows the recent Haiti Day event that took place on Sunday, Jan. 31. At this event, the Resident Student Association collected donations from students to support the relief effort.
Katie Trimble, Honors Volunteer Program coordinator, worked closely with the coordinator of Student Leadership and Service Learning, Gerome Stephens, to create a benefit lunch for the devastated nation.
“It’s one thing to watch something like this unfold on television, but once you’ve been there and have developed a personal connection to the place, it hits home,” said Trimble, referring to the humanitarian visits she’s taken to Haiti in the past. “It became my reason to do something for the people there.”
A number of organizations are lending their support for the event, including the American Red Cross, Christian Flights International, the Student Government Association, the Baptist Campus Ministry and the Student Activities Board, along with several others.
The student response to the benefit has been overwhelming, according to Kim Buckner, senior program assistant in the Office of Student Leadership and Service Learning.
“All of the students that have stopped by to purchase tickets and buttons have been eager to help in any way possible,” said Buckner. “The support has been well received by students as well as student organizations.”
Sales for the “I + Haiti” buttons will benefit the ongoing Red Cross relief efforts and are available for purchase in the Office of the Dean of Students in the Student Activities Center, as well as other offices on campus, for $3 each.
Three-fourths of the proceeds from the Hearts for Haiti ticket sales will be sent directly to the Red Cross disaster relief. This department of the Red Cross is responsible for assisting in the relief efforts in Haiti after the January earthquake. The remaining 25 percent of the ticket sale profits will be used by the Red Cross to alleviate the ongoing needs of the impoverished Haitian population.
The benefit lunch will feature speakers from Christian Flights International and the American Red Cross and will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. According to Trimble, students will be permitted to come and go as they please during the event, allowing for students to arrive at the Red Barn before, after or between classes.
