A new campus initiative, Hydrate Haiti, begins its quest to help the people in Haiti today.
There will be a series of fundraising events hosted by the initiative Nov. 10 to 13. All of the proceeds raised will go towards the goal of Hydrate Haiti to send water filters to the people of Haiti.
“There’s an epidemic of no clean water in Haiti,” said Ben Ford, a senior majoring in history and pre-law, and one of the students behind the initiative. “Bart Smelley contacted me and said his philanthropy company, Global Effect, had been going down there giving water filters to people.
The filters have this technology that gets fresh water to a family of seven to eight for five years. The filters cost about $30 apiece, so [Smelley] asked if we wanted to try to do this at Alabama.”
The University is the first school to take part in Hydrate Haiti, though the initiative will eventually be happening at every school in the Southeastern Conference. There are four members, Ford, Elliot Rowe, Megan Brantley, Candice Rosencranz, who compose the core of the Hydrate Haiti initiative.
“I’m so excited to have ‘Hydrate Haiti’ kick off this week,” Rosencranz, a senior majoring in marketing and director of recruitment for the Panhellenic Association, said in an e-mailed statement. “So many families in Haiti are forced to drink bacteria filled water in an attempt to survive, and doctors in the area have attributed Haiti’s high infant mortality rate directly to water-born illnesses. UA students are so blessed and we take for granted the fact that we can shower, wash our clothes, and drink clean water every day.
Through our initiative we will be raising funds, but more importantly awareness to what these families are going through. Unlike some fundraisers that increase the quality of life, Hydrate Haiti is literally saving human lives.”
Today’s fundraising event is the swipe donation. Students will be able to swipe their ACT cards to donate a maximum of $5 in Bama Cash. Stations will be set up from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Quad, in front of Reese Phifer Hall, by the crosswalk in front of Tutwiler Hall and behind the Kappa Alpha fraternity house.
“You give up five bucks, maybe one day’s lunch or something and you’re possibly giving water to someone for five years,” Ford said. “Why not do it?”
Students can also buy wristbands for the bar crawl on Thursday night. Galletes, Innisfree, Rounders and The Red Shed will be participating. There will be a $5 cover that will go to Hydrate Haiti. Every time a Haitibomb drink is purchased, $1 will also go towards the initiative and donation jars will be set up in the bars as well.
Fundraising events for the week will end on Saturday with gameday donations. There will be hydration stations set up around the Quad. There will be a bucket of dirty water illustrating how people are getting sick in Haiti and a bucket for donations.
Ford said he would love to raise $50,000.
“Fifty thousand would be huge,” he said. “We’re hoping that over the entire SEC we get close to $1 million. If we get $1 million, that’s 33,000 filters to go out to Haiti.”
There is currently a cholera outbreak in Haiti that has now claimed the lives of more than 500 people and has hit the capital, Port-au-Prince that is home to nearly 3 million people, as stated on allheadlinenews.com. Ninety-nine percent of the deaths are considered to be from water-born illness.
“I hope the events will make people realize they can make a difference in a big way without doing a lot,” Rosencranz said. “Haiti will be ecstatic and this will be amazing for them. It will also make people feel good about helping. It is not only a good cause, but it’s saving lives.”
How to Donate
-Donate up to $5 in Bama Cash at stations on the Quad, in front of Reese Phifer Hall, next to Tutwiler Hall and in front of the Kappa Alpha house from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
-$5 cover at The Red Shed, Gallettes, Innisfree and Rounders will go toward Hydrate Haiti Thursday night
-Gameday donation stations will be set up around the Quad Saturday
