Pennies, hair, hearts and hope for Haiti

Wish you could do something to help the thousands of people whose lives were devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti? Don't just wish it.

Next time, throw a penny or more into Elk Grove Park District's Pavilion lobby wishing fountain, 1000 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove Village. Coins will be donated to redcross.org, per a banner hanging over it now through midsummer.

That's only one of the many ways suburban residents still have to provide help for Haiti earthquake survivors.

Stop in at Deerfields Bakery in Buffalo Grove, Deerfield or Schaumburg now through Feb. 14 and buy select heart-shaped goodies for Valentine's Day. The bakery will donate 50 percent of its sales on those items to Doctors Without Borders for Haiti relief.

Chrysalis Hair Salon, 9 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, will be donating 10 percent of every service provided from Feb. 21 through March 15 to Haiti disaster relief. Just call for an appointment and mention this article.

Suburban residents also have joined a massive mobilization effort to deliver medical supplies and care to earthquake victims.

A surgical team will be heading to Haiti today as part of Hearts Afire Inc. with 2,000 pounds of donated medical supplies.

Team members include: Vilma Vega, an infectious diseases internist formerly of Rolling Meadows and Des Plaines; Allen Van, an orthopedic surgeon from St. Charles; and Fernando Vega, a logistics coordinator formerly of Hoffmann Estates and a graduate of Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

Hearts Afire Inc., a Sarasota, Fla.-based nonprofit organization, has been sending teams of surgeons to Haiti to help in the relief efforts since the Jan. 12 earthquake.