Law students dance and bake their way to $7K for Haitian relief
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Story and photos by Lucianna Ciccocioppo
Baked goods were going quickly, but chili was the all-time best seller, says Nicholas Robar.
(Jan. 26, 2010) Like everyone else in the world, U of T law students saw the graphic images of earthquake-ravaged Haiti and Haitians and were moved.
So moved, in fact, that they banded together and organized two events that raised more than $7000 in aid.
Feast of Haiti had 30 student volunteers baking and organizing a lunch-time sale that pulled in $3200--and about 300 hungry and willing donors, says Isaac Tang, the Students' Law Society president.
At the raffle table, students were monitoring the donations as they came in.
This is the halfway point to their goal!
"We had great feedback from students and faculty; people were very generous with their donations," says Tang. "I was quite surprised that we exceeded our goal of $2,750 by a healthy margin.
Two Maple Leaf platinum hockey tickets, generously donated by Goodmans LLP, were raffled off as well, with 160 tickets sold, which helped bump up the final tally of donations, says Tang.
Panago Pizza also donated some pizzas to the event, which was coordinated by first-year students Justin Nasseri, Atrisha Lewis and Ryan MacIsaac.
Funds were donated to Oxfam Canada for Haitian relief efforts.
"It was quite touching to see students from all three years come together at a busy time and make so much food," says Nasseri. "It was actually crazy how much food we had!"
First-year students Carol Samara and Emma Costante take time to volunteer
with the Students' Law Society's Feast for Haiti fundraiser.
An evening event at a local bar, Tattoo Rock Parlour, raised another $4000, with cover payments by U of T law students and friends going to Haitian relief via charity Partners in Health, a grassroots organization doing medical work in Haiti.
"We chose Partners in Health for their excellent track record, transparency of operations and large contingent of local employees," says co-organizer Michelle Folliott , who coordinated the event with fellow student Amy Benkard Rose.
"The dance party was an idea that we came up with in an effort to do something fun that would draw in as many people as possible," says Folliott.
And draw it did. About 650 people attended from U of T and beyond. Take a look at their fundraising fun:
