BHRE's 'Night for Haiti' fundraiser will take place Saturday
The student-led relief group has raised more than $22,000 this semester
BHRE's Nate Roseblum '10 and Shaina Gilbert '10
Alumni, parents, and friends are invited to join the Brandeis community on Saturday, May 1 for “A Night for Haiti,” a student-organized fundraiser to help victims of the earthquake that ravaged the island nation earlier this year.
The event, which will be held starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom at the Usdan Student Center, will feature live entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and a silent auction (items include preseason Patriots tickets and a vacation package in Montreal). Tickets cost $25 ($10 for Brandeis students, $15 for students from other institutions) and are available through Brandeis Tickets. Semi-formal attire is required.
Proceeds will support the earthquake-relief efforts being led by Partners in Health, Empowering Through Education (ETE) Camp, and Hope for Haiti.
“A Night for Haiti” is one of several events organized by the student-led Brandeis Haiti Relief Effort (BHRE), which is focused on fundraising, increasing awareness about Haiti, and celebrating the country’s rich cultural history.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was rocked by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12 that killed more than 200,000 people and left one million homeless.
BHRE, led by Nate Rosenblum ’10 and Shaina Gilbert ’10, has so far raised more than $22,500. The group is hoping to raise $25,000 this semester.
"Supporting the people of Haiti is extremely important at this time,” said Gilbert, a Haitian-American who last summer launched the ETE Camp in her mother’s hometown of Hinche, Haiti, while serving as a Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice intern. “The entire nation, from its destroyed capital to its now-overpopulated/under-resourced villages and provinces, needs a great deal of assistance.
“Beyond the lack of the infrastructure to guide its population out of its trauma and devastation and toward its rebirth, Haitians in Haiti are struggling with the lack of the resources to survive and carry on the legacy of the nation,” Gilbert said. “Without this rebirth and continuation of their legacy, future generations of Haitians and Haitian-Americans will be lost and not even know it.”
“We’re trying to find a way to help the people of Haiti who were devastated by this earthquake,” said Jon Ostrowsky ’13. “We’re trying to give back any way that we can.”
For more information about BHRE, contact Rosenblum or Gilbert. For information about alumni fundraising or the May 1 event, contact Ostrowsky.
Anyone interested in making a gift should write a check to Brandeis University with “Brandeis Haiti Relief Effort” written in the memo field. Send checks to Mr. Lucas Malo, Brandeis University, Department of Community Service, MS 203, 415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453.
