– Relief effort yielded over $35,000 dollars in donations and pledges and 15 trailers loaded with food, medical equipment and supplies worth over $2.4 million dollars –
In response to the devastation caused by the earthquake that has impacted the lives of millions of Haitians, Hostos Community College continues to support local and worldwide relief efforts to aid Haiti at this moment of tragedy. This past Sunday, January 17, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, a telethon in support of Haiti was held at CUNY in the Heights, a higher education center operated by Hostos Community College and Borough of Manhattan Community College in Washington Heights.
The relief effort was coordinated with the support of Hostos Community College President Felix V. Matos Rodríguez and his staff, by Minerva Saint Hillaire and José Samboy from De La Mano Con Minerva Foundation, Dr. Ramón Tallaj, President of the Corinthian Medical Independent Physician Association, and among other leaders and organizations, José Cruz from radio stations La Mega 97.9 FM and Amor 93.1 FM.
“On behalf of the Hostos Family, I would like to extend sympathy and support in every way we can to the people from Haiti at this moment of tragedy,” said President Matos Rodríguez. “Hostos Community College continues to work closely with The City University of New York and different organizations, partners and leaders in support of relief efforts underway at this moment. The telethon at CUNY in the Heights was a success thanks to those organizations leaders, volunteers and Hostos staff who worked diligently over the weekend to install the telephone lines and help coordinate overall logistics for this extraordinary relief effort.”
The event was broadcast live via Super Canal Caribe and other international television networks seen across the United States, the Dominican Republic and Latin America. Local television networks provided news coverage of the telethon, including Fox 5 news, Ramon Anibal Ramos TV and other independent television producers.
According to Dr. Tallaj, the effort yielded over $35,000 dollars in donations and pledges and 15 containers loaded with food, medical equipment and supplies worth over $2.4 million dollars. Most of the containers were donated via Hope for a Healthier Humanity (HHH) a non-profit committed to assisting the developing nations of the Caribbean and Latin America. Trailers will be shipped to Haiti where goods and medical equipment will be distributed by local and international organizations including non profit Cáritas Dominicanas, he said. Collected donations are being destined to Catholic Relief Services, and President Barak Obama’s newly created Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund.
To donate visit, “Help for Haiti” at www.cuny.edu/helpforhaiti, an informational website hosted by The City University of New York to facilitate the channeling of aid to the people from Haiti.
MORE: http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/news/press/HaitiTelethon.html
MEDIA CONTACT:
Néstor Montilla
Communications & College Relations Manager
Division of Institutional Development
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College
of The City University of New York
120 East 149th Street, Rm. 214 E Bronx, NY 10451
Tel. (718) 518-4355
Fax #: (718) 518-4240
Email: [email protected]