Wheaton efforts extend to Haiti

By Bobby Calobrisi
While with his class in Trinidad and Tobago, Paul Roell wanted to have a collaboration of song, dance and spoken word groups perform together on the campus of Wheaton College.
This idea sprung up as a way to raise money for the people of Haiti devastated by the earthquake that struck on Jan. 12.
At the start of spring semester, Roell brought his plan to Gabe Amo, head of Wheaton’s Student Government Association, and the benefit concert raised $1,380 on Feb. 5.
Wheaton College’s Student Government Association has raised $2,500 for Doctor’s Without Borders with students, like Roell, putting on an array of events to fund for Haiti relief.
“They operate on the ground and have been providing medical care for an historic period of time,” Amo said of Doctors Without Borders. “We wanted to put the money to use in a way that is in the spirit of contributing.”
The student-run events have included a social hour, a bake sale, a volunteer gate and a benefit concert.
Roell, a sophomore, said pooling the money seemed the best way to send to a fast and efficient organization. “We wanted to have the most substantial amount that we could send for the most fitting cause.”
The one-night benefit concert consisted of seven performance groups (singing, dancing and spoken word) each singing two songs and then singing “Can’t Give Up Now” in unison to cap off the event, which collected donations at the door, starting at $5 an entry.
Each group also contributed from their funds that the school gave them, raising a couple of hundred dollars, said Roell, member of an all-male a cappella group, The Gentleman Callers.
At the Jan. 30 basketball doubleheader the Haitian national anthem was played and $200
was raised, said Scott Dietz, assistant director of athletics for media relations.
John Sutyak, assistant director of athletics, said the athletic department was honored the students used basketball to raise money.
“It makes you think how lucky we have it that we can play on sunny afternoon and there are people struggling right in now in that country and we’re playing a game. It puts things in perspective a little bit,” said Sutyak.
From Feb. 5-7, the Wheaton Athletic Mentors (WAMs), who have put on an
alcohol free weekend the past six years, called the Big Event--that raises money for a local charity--dedicated the event to helping Haiti and raised $800.
More than 1,000 people from Wheaton and 300 others attended, said Jason Clucas, co-president of the Mentors executive board.
“We obviously had a great pouring of support of the school and because of that we were able to have our best Big Event in the four years I’ve been a part of the organization,” said Clucas. “When we changed the foundation, we showed that we were dedicated to helping Haiti and helping the [Haitian] student athletes we had here really finding themselves in tough times.”
The Mentors will send the money to groups helping special needs students in Haiti or a group providing clean water or both, said Clucas.
Roell is impressed at the relief efforts of Wheaton College that started the first week into the spring semester.
“It goes to show that this really is a cause worth benefitting,” he said. “People involved will do the best they can to see things through.”

By Bobby Calobrisi