Ridgefield Press January, 28, 2010

by Kate Czaplinski

Press Staff

Since the 7.0 earthquake devastated areas of the struggling nation of Haiti, Ridgefielders have stepped up with fund-raisers and donations. More help is still needed, local volunteers say.

Here are some of the upcoming and recent Hatiti relief events in town, as well as more information about how to help.

This Weekend

A Ridgefield High School concert for Haiti will take place today, Thursday, Jan. 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Ridgefield High School Auditorium. The High School Bands Insinu and Nella and the Wafers will be playing. There will be a brief presentation on the history and current situation in Haiti by Mr. Jeffrey Corbishley, a frequent visitor of the country. The event is sponsored by a variety of RHS’ Clubs including: Key Club, FBLA, Interact, and more. The ticket price is $10 and be purchased in advance or at the door.  Donation baskets will be available for those who want to make a more significant donation.

A five-town art fundraiser “heART for Haiti,” will take place on Friday, Jan. 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday Jan. 30, from 12 to 3. Art will be donated by local artists and sold at participating galleries including Galleria d’Arte on Bailey Avenue in Ridgefield.  One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Save the Children.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, The Ridgefield Town Tennis Committee will hold its Annual Mixed Round Robin Social, the proceeds of which will benefit Ridgefield Responds. The Round Robin will take place at Danbury Sport and Wellness (17-27 Starr Road) from 6 to 9 p.m. and the social will follow. Cost is $25 per person.  For more information please contact Jonathan Chase at 203-894-4622 or jchase894@comcast.net.  Interested participants can sign up at the Parks and Recreation Center.

Ridgefielders helping Haiti

More than 50 mothers made cookies for a successful chocolate chip cookie sale last week, benefiting Save the Children. Organizers Mendy Andresen and Allison Meyler said they raised about $2,700 at the sale and an additional $100 with sales parents held at the Wintergarden Ice Arena. Money is also trickling in from Little Red Riding Hood mobile cookie units. “Allison and I are awestruck by the enthusiasm, resources and generosity of our friends in Ridgefield,” Ms. Andresen said. Kids and parents sold cookies, three to a bag, for a dollar each. “Tonight, as we rest comfortably in our homes here in a blessed town, please think about the children in Haiti who have nowhere to go,” the organizers said, “who can’t find their parents, who hide from the shadows at night and whose comforts have been literally shaken from beneath them. Is there more that we can accomplish? I challenge you to try.” All the money went directly to Save the Children’s Children Emergency Fund.

Sierra Shafer, Rachel Litt and Jacob Litt exchanged sweet homemade treats for donations to the Haiti Relief and Rescue effort in front of Planet Pizza on Main Street last Sunday.  Donors were rewarded with their choice of cupcakes, muffins, cookies or brownies, all baked by the participants.“We wanted to do something to help the people of Haiti suffering from this disaster,” Sierra said.  Sierra raised $96 on Saturday in a similar effort with her friend Pia Vandervelden of Pound Ridge, NY. “Everyone participated,” Jacob said.  “We baked the treats, made the signs, and asked for permission from Planet Pizza to set up outside their store.  Even my sister Rachel, who has Autism, helped with the baking and staffing the table.  Everyone got into the act. ”The young philanthropists raised $198.

Scotts Ridge Middle School students did their part for relief efforts in Haiti, reported Gerry Fish, of the PTA. “Since the earthquake, so many kids had ideas about how to help that the Student Council stepped in to organize and promote the school’s fundraising efforts,” said Student Council President Mickey Carbone. “We wanted to make sure the entire was school involved.” Eighth graders held a 3-on-3-basketball tournament and each player paid a fee to participate. Student Kelly Donnelly volunteered to coordinate the two-day event. “People in Haiti need our help,” said tournament player David Linder.  “They are already one of the poorest nations and their infrastructure is completely damaged.  We need to help out because we are all part of this world together. “Another group of eighth graders, on team Phoenix, will host “Change to Change a Life in Haiti,” where they will collect loose change during lunch until Feb. 5.  The school team that collects the most money will earn one night free from homework. Team Phoenix is also sponsoring a raffle for four movie tickets to the AMC Loew’s theater along with a $50 gift certificate for food and beverages,  donated by social studies teacher Steven Kehoe.  Baked goods will also be for sale during school, through the efforts of students on Team Pegasus.

Flying rescue missions

Capt. Andrew Gambardella, a Ridgefield High class of 1993 graduate, is flying rescue missions to Haiti since the earthquake, reports his mother, Vivian Pierson of Danbury. Mr. Gambardella is a C17 pilot in the Air Force Reserves. For the past four years he has flown “med-evac” into Iraq and Afghanistan. The former Ridgefielder was featured in Orlando, Florida newspapers.

Partnering for Haiti

Save the Children of Westport and AmeriCares, based in Stamford have partnered together to deliver medical aid to Haiti. Americares donated about 16.5 tons of medical supplies to Port-au-Prince and a nearby town. The donations were distributed by Save the Children’s emergency response team. Donate any amount at SavetheChildren.org or by calling 1-800-728-3843 or 1-203-221-4030.

Ridgefield Responds

Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Jacmel, a volunteer group organized by Lori Bova, Betsy Brand and Isabel and Jonathan Chase of Share Joy International, met again Wednesday to discuss more aid and fund-raisers for the town’s “adopted” town of Jacmel. Jacmel, like the capital, Port-au-Prince, was nearly leveled by the earthquake. The Chase family are close friends with Bonite Affriany, a Haitian native who runs a mission in Jacmel that few hundreds of children each day before the earthquake.The group is still looking for volunteers to donate time or resources to the group.

Ridgefield Responds is now on the Web at RidgefieldResponds.org. The site has contact information, events and more ways to help. The group is also on Twitter.

Kerry Ann Ducey created a “Hope for Haiti” page at RidgefieldCtBlog.com/ridgefield-responds-hope-for-jacmel-haiti that lists upcoming events. The site also features a PayPal account where donations can be made to Ridgefield Responds. You can learn more by calling Isabel Chase at 203-431-8531.

Haiti tax deduction

Bipartisan legislation supported by Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and passed by the U.S House will  offer  an immediate tax benefit to Americans who make charitable contributions to aid the region. The bill allows individuals to claim donations to the relief effort made through March 1 as itemized deductions on their 2009 tax return, instead of waiting to claim it on their 2010 return, reported Elizabeth Kerr, Congressman Himes’ communications director. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation soon, Congressman Himes’ office reported.

Posted with author’s permission.

On Saturday, January 30 The Ridgefield Town Tennis Committee will hold its Annual Mixed Round Robin Social, the proceeds of which will benefit Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Jacmel Haiti. The Round Robin will take place at Danbury Sport and Wellness (17-27 Starr Road) from 6-9pm and the social will follow.  Cost is $25 per person.  For more information please contact Jonathan Chase at 203.894.4622 or jchase894@comcast.net.  Interested participants can sign up at the Rec Center.

A simultaneous 5-town art fundraiser “heART for Haiti” will take place on Friday, January 29 from 6-9pm and Saturday January 30 from 12-3. Art will be donated by local artists and sold at participating galleries: Rockwell Galleries in Wilton, Westport, New Canaan and Fairfield and Galleria d’Arte in Ridgefield.  One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Save the Children.