Las Vegas Community Rallies Around Haiti Relief Efforts

Ten days after the devastating Haiti earthquake, Las Vegas organizations continue to raise money for the ongoing relief efforts. Here's a recap of what some businesses are doing and what you can do if you would still like to help:

Southern Nevada Chapter of American Red Cross continues Haiti relief campaign

Several Las Vegas organizations wanting to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake are turning to the local American Red Cross Chapter for fundraising tips and assistance. Some of the more notable events include:

• Local CBS affiliate Channel 8 hosted a telethon for three days immediately following Tuesday's earthquake. From January 13 - 16, local news anchors hosted the telethon and the Las Vegas community donated $101,888.
• According to the chapter's Facebook page, Bonner Elementary School raised $3,145 for the Haitian relief fund. From the mouths of babes...
• The Salvadoran Foundation of Las Vegas is sponsoring a Red Cross booth to collect donations at their Palacio de Sol party on Saturday, January 23 from 6pm-1am.
• Prive Nightclub at the Planet Hollywood will also request donations for Haitian relief on Monday, January 25 from 10pm-midnight. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the club plans to charge a $5 mandatory donation in addition to any cover charges that night.
• Local television program La Capsula plans to host an event on February 7th at the Silver Nugget Casino in N. Las Vegas for the Haiti relief efforts. Details have yet to be determined.

The chapter continues to keep the community abreast of the situation in Haiti and in Las Vegas on their Facebook page. If you would like to make a donation or become a Red Cross volunteer, please visit the website for the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Las Vegas Haitian community rallies for their homeland

While anxiously waiting news from relatives and friends back home, Las Vegas Haitians organized a weeklong drive for their countrymen at the First Baptist Church located at 4400 West Oakey. They will be gathering supplies to send back home and have established the Las Vegas Haitian Disaster Relief Committee, with an account to collect donations at Chase Bank. To reach out and lend support to the local Haitian community, call 406-0290. Approximately 4,000 Haitians live in Las Vegas

Las Vegas entertainers donate partial proceeds from ticket sales for Haiti relief

Las Vegas based boxing promoter Top Rank has pledged $1.00 from every ticket sold until the end of 2010 to the Haiti relief fund. This includes tickets from the upcoming March 13 fight between superstar Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey. The significance of Top Ranks' decision is huge, because the donations will still come in long after the news coverage has passed on the earthquake.

Celebrity columnist Robin Leach reported, "Bette Midler really proved she is the Divine Miss M over the weekend when she began collecting donations from her Caesars Palace audience at The Colosseum and promised to match it 100 percent."

Over the weekend Ms. Midler raised over $38,000 for Doctors Without Borders for the Haiti relief fund, and she will continue to collect and match donations until the final performance of her show, The Showgirl Must Go On, at Ceasers Palace on January 31st.

Another star contributing to the Haiti relief effort is comedian Carrot Top, who will donate all merchandise sales from his website and his show at the Luxor Hotel until the end of the month to the American Red Cross earthquake fund.

Las Vegas airline flies supplies to Haiti earthquake zone

Normally used for charter flights and Grand Canyon tours, Las Vegas based Vision Airlines have volunteered their planes and pilots to fly much needed supplies and emergency crews into Haiti. Pilots fly out of the airline's hub in Miami, and their task is made even more heroic by the fact that the airport in Haiti lost its control tower and navigating airspace over Port-au-Prince has become quite treacherous.

Other ways Las Vegas organizations are helping Haiti earthquake victims

Several Las Vegas bars, restaurants, and other businesses are also helping to raise money for the Haiti relief efforts. For a complete list of events happening in town, please check out this article from Las Vegas Sun reporter April Corbin.

It is not too late to give. The devastation in Haiti is enormous and will take years to rebuild. Remember that after the news coverage has passed, the suffering of the victims will remain. Please help the victims of Haiti and other disasters by donating to the American Red Cross.

Associated Content is also donating $5 plus matched performance payments for every article submitted to the Haiti Relief Fund. For a full listing of those articles, please click this link. For my part, I pledge to donate any performance payments gained from this article and the poem I Didn't Help to the Haiti earthquake relief efforts at the American Red Cross.

Many thanks go to those in the Las Vegas community who donated time and money to the Haiti relief effort. We may be Sin City, but we've proven to be Good Neighbors too.

Sources:

Volunteer emails received from the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross (Author of this article is a Red Cross volunteer)

Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross

Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross Facebook Page

American Red Cross

Local businesses offering Haiti-relief events, April Corbin, LasVegasSun.com

Local Haitians organize relief efforts, Las Vegas Channel 13 Action News

Boxing promoter giving donation to Haitian Relief, David Skretta from the Associated Press, LasVegasNow.com

Bette Midler donates to Haitian relief with Colosseum show, Robin Leach, VegasDeluxe.com

Vision Airlines, based in North Las Vegas, plays role in Haiti relief, Kristi Jourdan, LasVegasReviewJournal.com

I Didn't Help, Gwen Navarrete, AssociatedContent.com

Help Haiti Page, AssociatedContent.com