Stony Brook Employees Band Together For Haiti 2010 Events Target Three Charities Helping Earthquake Victims
Several Hospital and Health Science Programs Raise More than $11,000
STONY BROOK, N.Y., September 23, 2010 – Culminating eight months of fundraising initiatives for Haitian Relief and victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Stony Brook University Hospital CEO, Dr. Steven
Strongwater, and Dean of the Stony Brook University School of Health Technology and Management, Dr. Craig Lehmann, invited representatives from three relief organizations to accept donations from the employees and students of Stony Brook University Medical Center. On September 16, representatives from the relief organizations met with SBUMC administrators and staff to accept the contributions, which were raised from a variety of programs under the auspices of the SBUMC/Health Sciences Center (HSC) Haitian Short-Term Relief Taskforce. More than $11,000 was raised, and each organization received $3,716.
The receiving organizations include: Operation Hope for Children of Haiti, a non-profit organization that provides the most needy children of Haiti with food, treated water, medical equipment and other needs; the United Methodist Committee for Relief (UMCOR), an international humanitarian aid organization providing relief from hunger due to disasters, as well as refugee assistance and emergence relief; and PAZAPA (Creole for “little step at a time”), an organization that specifically works with handicapped children of Haiti.
“The outpouring of creative energy and effort by faculty, staff, and students to raise money for these worthy organizations that continue to provide necessary relief for Haiti is commendable,” says Paul Lombardo, MPS, RPAC, Chair of the Taskforce, and Clinical Associate Professor and Chair, Division of Clinical Sciences and Department of Physician Assistant Education. “All of the work was voluntary, there were no administrative costs, and the money goes directly to the charitable recipients.”
Numerous SBUMC and HSC professional and student-led initiatives contributed to the Taskforce effort. Donations came from the Shamrocks for Haiti Benefit, an event in March organized by the Taskforce and sponsored by the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore; SBUMC Hospital Cannisters; The Sunshine Club, of the School of Health Technology and Management (SHTM); the Department of Emergency Medicine Fundraiser; Physician Assistant Class of 2010; the Stony Brook Medical Student Association; the SHTM Athletic Training Program Club; the School of Nursing, as well as Respiratory Care/Nursing clubs.
