2008 Woodie Awards
Haiti Fundraiser Gets AHEAD
Kimberly Primicerio
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Focus
The St. Thomas Aquinas Church was filled with the smells, sights and sounds of Haiti on Friday night. People were greeted with the loud beats and rhythms of Haitian music called kompa as they entered St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Friday night. The group Aid in Haitian Education and Development (AHEAD) held the dinner in the church hall in order to raise money to send Haitian students to college.
After paying a small fee guests were then able to grab a plate and fill it with traditional Haitian food, including traditional black rice, baked chicken and fried plantains.
"The food is really good," said Ashley Louis-Charles, a 4th-semester human development and family studies and communication disorders major and chief financial officer of AHEAD. All of the traditional delicacies were cooked by members' parents.
Haitian art was also on display in the hall. Colorful paintings of Haitian women, tropical atmospheres and animals were hung from a canvas. There was also brightly painted metalwork of turtles, lizards and frogs.
"All of the metalwork was made out of oil drums," said Katie Bostiga, a graduate student and vice president of AHEAD.
Other art was available for purchase at the event. The artwork was given by the off-campus group Haiti's Back Porch. Other pieces were donated by Essud Fungap, a Haitian artist. All of the proceeds went to AHEAD.
Eunice Omega, a 4th-semester journalism major and secretary of AHEAD, said the group tries to do at least one big project a year to raise money. Omega explained how the organization had sent two young adults to college already and was trying to send a third.
"We have the money, we just need to find the student," said Bostiga. Tuition for a Haitian college student costs $4,800, which includes all four years, all books and other expenses.
"A Haitian student who goes to college can make five times more money [than what tuition costs] and then can support their entire family," said Bostiga.
Bostiga thought the event received a good turnout. "I just want to get the word out on Haiti," said Bostiga.
Contact Kimberly Primicerio at Kimberly Primicerio@UConn.edu.
After paying a small fee guests were then able to grab a plate and fill it with traditional Haitian food, including traditional black rice, baked chicken and fried plantains.
"The food is really good," said Ashley Louis-Charles, a 4th-semester human development and family studies and communication disorders major and chief financial officer of AHEAD. All of the traditional delicacies were cooked by members' parents.
Haitian art was also on display in the hall. Colorful paintings of Haitian women, tropical atmospheres and animals were hung from a canvas. There was also brightly painted metalwork of turtles, lizards and frogs.
"All of the metalwork was made out of oil drums," said Katie Bostiga, a graduate student and vice president of AHEAD.
Other art was available for purchase at the event. The artwork was given by the off-campus group Haiti's Back Porch. Other pieces were donated by Essud Fungap, a Haitian artist. All of the proceeds went to AHEAD.
Eunice Omega, a 4th-semester journalism major and secretary of AHEAD, said the group tries to do at least one big project a year to raise money. Omega explained how the organization had sent two young adults to college already and was trying to send a third.
"We have the money, we just need to find the student," said Bostiga. Tuition for a Haitian college student costs $4,800, which includes all four years, all books and other expenses.
"A Haitian student who goes to college can make five times more money [than what tuition costs] and then can support their entire family," said Bostiga.
Bostiga thought the event received a good turnout. "I just want to get the word out on Haiti," said Bostiga.
Contact Kimberly Primicerio at Kimberly Primicerio@UConn.edu.
Be the first to comment on this story