University Community Asked to Remember Haiti by Wearing Red and Blue on Feb. 12

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The University of Arkansas Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and the Clinton School of Public Service invite all University of Arkansas students, faculty and staff to participate in Remember Haiti Day on Friday, February 12 by wearing red and blue on that day in remembrance of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Any campus department or registered student organization that has events in Northwest Arkansas can post their event to the Hogs for Haiti relief efforts page by submitting to rjedwar@uark.edu.

A month after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed and injured thousands on Jan. 12, the Clinton School and the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement hope this gesture will remind Americans to continue to donate to aid organizations and support those working to help Haiti recover.

Diony Monestime, a Haitian student at the University of Arkansas, said, "I am so glad to see all the efforts at the University to support Haiti. We need to promote awareness so that people don't forget, but nothing is stronger than action. So please continue to take "action" from which Haiti can benefit."

“Haitians are still suffering and working to rebuild their country and put their lives back together,” said Clinton School student Ivanley Noisette, whose family is from Haiti. “We ask everyone to remember their suffering and honor the people of Haiti by wearing red and blue on Feb. 12.”

Both students have been helping to raise money and awareness for Haiti in the aftermath of the storm.

“I’m proud to see that our students, faculty and staff have been very engaged in relief efforts for Haiti,” said Dr. Daniel Pugh, dean of students at the University of Arkansas, “I hope they will continue in those efforts to serve and help and will support Remember Haiti Day on Feb. 12 by wearing red and blue.”

Hogs for Haiti Efforts include:

• The Red Cross Student Association and the University of Arkansas Greek Life are selling red ribbons to campus members for $1. Proceeds from the ribbon sales will be donated to Haitian Relief Efforts through the American Red Cross. Contact Michael Dodd at mdodd@uark.edu for more information.
• The members of the Holcombe International Residence Hall and the Red Cross Student Association held an event titled “Think Globally. Act Locally.” in Holcombe Hall. Partnering with the Carribean Students Association who provided food for sale at the event, over $1,100 was raised in a few short hours. Students also listened to presentations by affiliates of the Red Cross regarding relief efforts. And Diony Molestime spoke about his home country to provide a base of reference regarding the country and its history for all who were present. Contact Taylor Mills at tdmills@uark.edu for more information about this event or other activities involving the Red Cross.
• The University of Arkansas Law School is partnering with Victory Church to gather donations of dry goods, rice, beans, spaghetti, seasonings, and other items (but no canned goods) which may be dropped off at the atrium of the Law School. Contact Diony Monestime at dmonesti@uark.edu for more information.
• A group of freshmen students in the Maple Hill Residence Hall have organized a Hogs for Haiti t-shirt drive in collaboration with local company, B-Unlimited. The t-shirts may be purchased online at www.b-unlimitedonline.com for $10. All profit from the t-shirts will be donated to WorldVision and the American Red Cross. Contact Jordan Sonnentag at jsonnent@uark.edu for more information.
• Gamma Eta Sorority will be holding a bake sale on Friday, Feb. 12. All proceeds will be donated to Haitian Relief Efforts through the American Red Cross. Contact Emily Lo at exl004@uark.edu for more information.
• The Ecological Engineering Student Club is holding a prosthetic limb drive for Haitian residents. On average, a person in the US that owns a prosthetic will replace it after three years, and by US Law, the limb may not be resold. The student group will be collecting pre-used limbs beginning March 6. Contact Zak Johnston at rzjohns@uark.edu for more information.
• The registered student organizations, Al-Islam and the Hindu Student Association, held a bake sale, raising over $200 to be donated to Humanity First’s Haitian Relief Efforts. Contact Saba Naseem, President of Al-Islam Student Association, at snaseem@uark.edu for more information.
• The Division of Student Affairs and Chartwells Dining partnered for an event on Feb. 4, providing meals to attendees for making a $5 donation to Haitian Relief Efforts.
• The Annual Game for Life Blood Drive was held on campus on Feb. 1–3. Students were given the option of refusing a t-shirt after giving blood in order to donate the cost of the t-shirt to Haitian Relief Efforts.
• The Alpha Lambda Chapter of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Incorporated had to reschedule their dance night event due to inclement weather. The event is to be held at Zabanna Night Club. Details regarding the rescheduled date and time will be made available on the Hogs for Haiti facebook group page.
• The Associated Student Government (ASG) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be collaborating on athletic events to raise funds for the American Red Cross’s Haitian Relief Efforts. Details will be made available on the Hogs for Haiti Facebook group page. Contact asgpres@uark.edu for more information.
• The University of Arkansas Greek Life has initiated a National Greek Haiti Relief Effort Campaign. The chapters are charging each other and chapters across the nation to donate social funds to the American Red Cross’s Haitian Relief Efforts. Visit the National Greek Haiti Relief Effort Campaign Facebook Page, for more information and contacts.
• Additional groups that would like to sponsor an event or drive for Haitian Relief: Please contact an administrator of the Hogs for Haiti Facebook Group, to include your information as part of the University of Arkansas’s Hogs for Haiti Efforts.

Any campus department or registered student organization that has events in northwest Arkansas can post their events to the Hogs for Haiti relief efforts page by submitting to rjedwar@uark.edu.

For more information please contact the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement at 479-575-5255 or visit the center's Web site. For RSOs that are fundraising, see the PDF of Important Information on Haiti Relief Initiatives for details.