Volunteers at telethon have close ties to Haiti

Of the more than 1,000 call center volunteers who took donations at the Chicago Helps Haiti telethon Thursday, at least two have a deep connection to the crisis.

One is an Addison woman, a native Haitian, who lost a family member in the earthquake. The other, a Kenosha man with two adopted Haitian children who worry about the safety of their birthparents.

Held at Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, the telethon started at 5 a.m. and ran until 11 p.m. Organizers say nearly every local television and radio station, as well as the Daily Herald and Crain's Chicago Business, promoted the fundraiser and urged people to call (877) 565-5000 to donate.

The effort raised more than $2.7 million for the American Red Cross. That total was expected to rise Friday because of online donations and late calls.

"This is on par with what we were able to raise for the tsunami," Red Cross spokeswoman Kate Monkus said. "We are raising twice as much money online" as the charity raised during previous major disasters, she said.

Call center volunteer Jack Lira and his wife Kristy of Kenosha have two adopted children from Haiti.

The couple say their teenage boys are keeping close tabs on news coverage and are worried for their birthparents and siblings.

A nurse, Kristy Lira was on a mission trip to Haiti in 2002. She was there to make medical assessments of children who were up for adoption. She came across two malnourished boys. They stole her heart.

"The boys were 9 and 7 at the time," Jack Lira said. "The 9-year-old weighed 23 pounds and the 7-year-old weighed 27 pounds. Kristy was so touched by these boys, she called me and said we should adopt them. She said they have a light in their eyes she couldn't ignore."

The Liras stayed in contact with the birth mom for several years, but

that eventually ended. But the boys, now 17 and 15, are very aware of what's going on in their home country.

"The boys have been watching the news and are asking questions," Jack Lira said. "They are pretty quiet about it, but they are worried about their parents and siblings. They ask 'How do we know if our parents are alive?'"

So, it was a no-brainer for Jack Lira to volunteer in the telethon. The Hewitt communication consultant said it was a way for him to help.

"This is at least a small way I can help," he said. "The people calling in are so wonderful, caring and generous. It's really touching. I'm getting back far more than I'm giving."

Nicole Claude was driving to the grocery store near her Addison home when her cell phone beeped.

"A friend texted me about the earthquake and I was shocked," said the native Haitian. "I immediately started calling my cousin in Port-au-Prince but couldn't get through."

It took another 24 hours, but Claude finally got word about her extended family.

"My aunt was dead and my cousin's house was destroyed," she said. "I was devastated."

In the days since the quake, Claude has poured her energies into volunteering for the American Red Cross. She manned the phones for 18 hours taking calls from folks wanting to help.

Officials at the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation said they will match the first $1 million donated at 50 cents on the dollar, for up to $500,000. Vernon Hills-based CDW said it will match relief drive donations of $1,000 or more, up to a total match of $100,000, company officials said.