The West Virginia University community has raised almost $15,000 and truckloads of supplies during the past six weeks in a wide array of events and activities.

WVU students, faculty and staff worked tirelessly to raise money, collect supplies and spread awareness since the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the island nation of Haiti on Jan. 12.

Mountaineers have been encouraged to give what they can over the last six weeks in an effort to help the Haitian people who’ve lost so much after this disaster.

Volunteers collected a total of $14,887.34 for the American Red Cross and Yele Haiti, primarily through Dollars for Disaster booths sponsored and staffed by the Student Government Association, Student Health Advisory Board, WVU Extension, WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, the WVU International Student Organization and many other groups across campus.

Headline events that contributed to the total included SGA’s “Help Haiti Collection” prior to the WVU men’s basketball game against Pitt on Feb. 3 and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee’s “Paying it Forward: An Afternoon with the WV Athletes” silent auction on Feb. 28.

Other fundraisers over the last several weeks included the WVU College of Creative Arts’ “ArtsGive” evening of performances, the WVU Public Relations Student Society of America’s t-shirt sale, the WVU Student’s for Haitian Sustainability bracelet sales and Iota Phi Theta’s “Bowling for Haiti” event.

The WVU Center for Civic Engagement also encouraged Mountaineers to donate to the American Red Cross and Yele Haiti directly by giving online and via text.

In addition to monetary donations, the Dollars for Disaster booths collected a truck-full of shoes, to be sent to Haiti, in only three short days.

Additional shoes, clothing, blankets, small stuffed toys and badly needed medical and hygiene supplies were collected by the WVU Student Recreation Center, WVU Students in Free Enterprise and WVU College of Human Resources and Education first-year master’s students.

There were also many non-tangible gifts the WVU community was able to share with Haiti in the weeks following the disaster.

Volunteers distributed countless blue Haiti awareness ribbons now being sported on jackets and lapels across campus.

Students, faculty and staff made friendship bracelets that will be sent to the people of Haiti as a small token of their care and concern.

CCE maintained an online journal where people could to share their thoughts on the disaster. Eventually, these words of love and encouragement will be compiled into a book and given to the Haitian government on behalf of WVU.

Finally, WVU held a day of remembrance on Feb. 12, the one month anniversary of the disaster, encouraging faculty, staff and students to wear red and blue (the official colors of Haiti) in a gesture to honor the victims and encourage each other to keep giving.

To find out more about the WVU response and relief effort to help Haitians in need, and to donate directly to organizations helping with the disaster relief effort in Chile, please visit http://dollarsfordisaster.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

03/02/10

CONTACT: Brett White, WVU Center for Civic Engagement
304-293-8761, brett.white@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @wvutoday on Twitter