Support Haitian Project at dinner, art auction Sept. 8
"The Big Get Together," a dinner and art auction to support the Haitian Project will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church Community Center in Crystal Lake. Doors open at 6 p.m.
In the past 18 months, St. Thomas the Apostle Church sent three mission groups to Haiti to build awareness and raise money for a Catholic school that excels in creating leaders to rebuild Haiti.
Louverture Cleary School, outside of Port au Prince, is a Catholic boarding school for underprivileged, academically gifted students from the poorest areas of Haiti. Rather than focusing on relief, the school invests in long-term, sustainable solutions for the people of Haiti.
Tropical storm Isaac recently ravaged the already struggling country. While Haiti has received a tremendous response to the suffering and loss caused by the earthquake, much of this help has been consumed in immediate relief. Real change and development takes sustained efforts like LCS. Education is an affordable and durable way we can help our neighbor nation break from poverty.
Currently, a Crystal Lake resident, Meghan Gregus, is teaching this year at the school. Meghan follows a long line of young men and women from the Rockford Diocese that has volunteered with The Haitian Project throughout the years. In addition to St. Thomas the Apostle's mission groups, LCS has also benefited from the work done by many mission groups from the Rockford area, including the Rockford Men's Group.
St. Thomas has chosen to assist Haiti in its struggle to rise out of poverty because LCS provides youth in Haiti the exact tool they need to rebuild their country: an education. The school prepares the youth of Haiti to rebuild their country and to sustain its success.
On Sept. 8, The Haitian Project, which supports and operates Louverture Cleary School, is hosting a special event honoring Msgr. Daniel Hermes and his contributions to the school. In addition, the evening will center on the beauty of Haiti; brilliant, one of a kind art from Haiti's local artists will be exhibited and sold, delicious Haitian cuisine, and the tropic island sounds of Steely Pan will be the background of a truly memorable evening.
Plan on joining us at the fundraising dinner and art auction Saturday, Sept. 8. Dinner tickets are $35 per person with a cash bar.
If you would like to purchase tickets or have any questions, contact Barbara Wheeler at (815) 245-4556 or wheelsback@aol.com.