Home Building in Haiti Continues, Thanks to Rockford Residents
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Tom and Nancy Lorden stand with Fern Shore, sitting, as she holds a framed photograph of a house in the Haiti village the group supports. | |
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2013) – Northern Illinois residents came out in record numbers to support the Hope for Haitians Board and Food For The Poor’s 12th annual An Evening in the Tropics gala at Giovanni’s Restaurant & ConventionCenter. Proceeds will be used to build homes and continue to expand animal husbandry and agriculture projects in the second phase of Love Friendship Village in Savanne Carre, Terrier Rouge, Haiti.
“Through the years, the Hope for Haitians Board has raised enough money to build 215 two-room homes with sanitation in Haiti,” said Tom Lorden. “Because of you, families have safe, sturdy homes, clean drinking water and animal husbandry projects to lift them out of poverty. Every gift makes a difference as we continue to improve the lives of many poor Haitian families.”
For the past three years, Riley Kegley, 7, has asked to receive money instead of birthday presents to provide villages in Haiti with cows, goats, chickens, and a water well. A video about Kegley’s mission to build a home with access to water and sanitation in Food For The Poor’s Love Friendship Village was shown at the gala. To see his symbolic home transform into a concrete one, track his progress on his website www.RileyKegley.com.
Riley, a recipient of The Rockford Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2012 Future Philanthropist award, pulled the winning raffle ticket for a Rockford resident to spend a six-day, five-night stay at the luxurious beach and golf resort Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Guests also enjoyed a cocktail reception, dinner, and a silent auction, which featured prizes such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, and dinner packages. Master of ceremonies for this year’s An Evening in the Tropics gala was veteran broadcast journalist Mike Robinson. The keynote speaker for the evening was Archbishop Bernadito Cleopas Auza, who serves as the Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti.
“We are so grateful to everyone involved, including our Hope for Haitians committee and all participants in this year’s event,” said Lorden.
A video of area residents along with Hope for Haitians Board Trustees Pat Bachrodt, Tom Lorden and Bill Clancy inaugurating phase one of Love Friendship Village was shown at the gala. Homes for 40 families with solar-powered lights and access to water and sanitation were built with proceeds from last year’s gala. Additionally, each family received two goats and fruit-bearing trees to help improve the village’s access to proper nutrition. The travelers also visited additional Food For The Poor villages built with money raised by the Hope for Haitians Board to see firsthand their progress.
“We are so humbled by the growing number of people and parishes joining the Hope for Haitians in support of the poor,” said Bill Clancy.
Hope for Haitians Board members include: Pat Bachrodt, Reverend David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Patti Cottrell, Michael Delany, Dave Daugherty, Bill Kalma, Danny Lorden, Tom and Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Philip Nicolosi, Patti Rangel, Peter Roche, Andy Schultheis, and Reverend Geoff Wirth.
To learn how you can become involved, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/rockford.
Gala sponsors include: Advanced Machine & Engineering, American Family Insurance, Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Dick and Marg Bachrodt, Lou Bachrodt Auto Group, Lou Bachrodt Foundation, Barrick Switzer Long Balsley and Van Evera, Ralph J. Baudhuin Foundation, Buff & Lorrie Blackler, Boylan Catholic High School, Catalyst Business Solutions, William and Catherine Clancy, Comerica Bank, Tom and Mary Costello, Giovanni’s Restaurant, Brian and Missy Hand and Family, Msgr. Robert Hoffman Estate, Holy Family Church, JP Jewelers, Kelley Williamson Company, Thomas and Lesley Killoren, Jeffrey and Sally Krogh, Mike and Mary LaLoggia, Bernie and Peggy Long, Lorden Charitable Foundation, Robert and Mary Lou McLaughlin, NAPA Auto Parts – A Division of MPEC, Rebecca Newton, Nicolosi & Associates, OSF St. Anthony Hospital, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Penske Truck Leasing, R.C. and Rhonda Pottinger, Resource Dealer Group, Inc, Risch Family Foundation, Peter and Sandy Roche Family, Rosary High School, Savant Capital Management, Fern Shore, Southern Wine & Spirits, St. John Neumann Church, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and School, St. Thomas More, Msgr. Raymond J. Wahl, Warner Specialized Petroleum Services, and WIPFLi HEWINS.
Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]
