When Disaster Strikes…

Posted in 2 Cents, Announcements, Culture, Events, Randomness on February 1, 2010 at 1:46 am

By now, you are well aware of the tragic events that have occurred in the country of Haiti. The earthquake that destroyed the homes and spirits of so many Haitians has been the cause of an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering. It has also been the cause of many good deeds done throughout the world. It seemed like there was almost an immediate response from the rest of the world when word of the events that took place in Haiti got out. Not only was it a trending topic on Twitter, but #Haiti is also a trending topic on the news and within the hearts of millions of people. People have been coming together and giving so much towards the rebuilding of the shattered country. The Hope For Haiti telethon that aired world wide has been the biggest of the public efforts thus far. Organized by George Clooney, the two hour telethon featured everyone from Denzel Washington to Alicia Keys. The powerful performances and speeches given that night set the tone for everyone to do whatever they could to help out and they raised almost 60 million dollars for the cause. Despite much controversy, Haitian music mogul, Wyclef, has been very instrumental in restoring his country through his organization Yele and just by speaking on the subject like he did this years Grammy Awards. I couldn’t go a day without seeing his tweets telling me to “Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5.” If you didn’t know, $1 is the equivalent to about 40 Haitian Gourdes so your dollar can surely make a difference. It seems as if everyone is getting in on the action, including Walmart, the New York Yankees, and Bank of America. Ralph Lauren has created special polo shirts and is donating 100% of the proceeds to aiding Haiti. They are actually pretty stylish so you may want to consider getting one if you haven’t already given to the cause. The Restaurant Week Truck in NYC is also donating $1 of every $6 purchase. Big names aren’t the only ones helping Haiti. My good friend Overfab recently held an event in NYC and raised over $2000 and 70 bags of goods. I say all this to say, the world isn’t as bad as it seems. There is always a way. Give and you shall receive…Contribute to the hope for Haiti in anyway you can. Trust me…It’s worth it…Peep some amazing photos of Haiti by photographer Jeff Antebi…