Helping Haiti
February 7, 2010 1:26 PM
Between January 19 to 22, StFX students organized and turned out in droves to attend several benefit fundraisers held in support of Haiti.
On Tuesday, January 18, Piper’s Pub hosted Music for Haiti, an eclectic evening of bands assembled from the ranks of the StFX Music Department, including the Willem Paynter Quartet, Brian England, How About Red and Moustache Pony. The event was organized by Will Paynter.
On Thursday, January 20, students sipped coffee and tea during an intimate coffeehouse at the Bloomfield Centre Cafeteria. Organized by the StFX campus radio station, CFXU, the diverse bill included Bette and Wallet, Dave Sampson, Doug MacNearney, and Landon Coleman, among others.
Finally, an on-going campaign called Two Dollars a Head for Haiti organized by Mitch Oglive and Mike Mason with the support of the StFX Students’ Union hosted an After Hours party at the Inn featuring DJ Eviction. The campaign collects donations at a table in the lobby of Bloomfield Centre.
The concerts sprung up soon after the Canadian government announced its plan to match private donations up to fifty million dollars made to Canadian non-governmental organizations and charities working in Haiti.
On January 13, Haiti experienced a devastating 7.0 earthquake across its southern region. While the death toll continues to rise, as of this publication estimates place the loss of life at almost 300,000 people. The quake has also left over 2 million people homeless.
The Haiti Coffeehouse and the Two Dollars a Head for Haiti campaign donates its funds to the Canadian Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Partners in Health. Funds raised by Music for Haiti also went to Doctors Without Borders.
With private donations surpassing this allotted fund, the Canadian government has since increased its limit for matching contributions.
Many of the organizers explain that they were compelled to respond to the Haiti crisis by an urgent sense of need they derived from the community at large.
As organizer of the Haiti Coffeehouse, CFXU Programming Manager Joanna Barker feels that students particularly were looking for an outlet to show their support.
“There was vibe on campus that people wanted to do something, so it’s my job to put it together. We all are students, all twenty-five years or younger, and there may not be a whole lot we can do individually. But collective work and teamwork has such an impact. We do see it on a global scene, and it’s really beautiful [to see in Antigonish],” reflects Barker.
As organizer of Music for Haiti, Paynter also believes that he can do more for Haiti while working together with other students than he can individually.
“[I organized this concert] because I’m broke and couldn’t contribute as much as I wanted to. This way, I was able to give way more then I normally would have,” he explains. Indeed, shortly after the crisis broke, the Students’ Union held a meeting in the board room of the Bloomfield Centre in response of this pan-campus interest for students to talk about options for relief.
VP Communications Sarah Furey describes the tone of that meeting.
“It’s usually a challenge to get people out to events, but sitting in that room was really unique because people came together on their own for a common good and to recognize a need, and recognize that somebody had to set up some way to do it,” she remembers.
The Students’ Union is involved by providing the administrative aspects the Two Dollars a Head for Haiti campaign. VP Finances Patrick McAloon is volunteering his services to handle the financial aspects, while Furey helps with the communications and design elements.
All musicians who participated in Music for Haiti and the Haiti Coffeehouse donated their art for free. Both Paynter and Barker explain the artists also saw the project as an avenue to reach a broader audience at StFX.
“Events like this really open up the door really for artists, because people came out for cause but ended up checking out music they might have never heard before. I’m impressed [personally] with the turnout because it wasn’t just the indie rock CFXU scene, but it was people from all across campus and town coming together,” Barker elaborates.
Music for Haiti brought in $1,800 from the cover charge and donations by patrons. With an additional $500 donated by Piper’s Pub, the event raised over $2,300.
The Haiti Coffeehouse also brought in over $500 through donations alone. They were subsequently contributed to the Two Dollars a Head for Haiti campaign.
