Swimmers collected pledges to encourage them to Go the Distance for Haiti on January 26 and 27, raising funds for the Canadian Red Cross (Quebec Division, allocation: Haiti Earthquake.)
According to Head Coach, Robyn Ouimet, In a single training session, each team member swam the longest race distance for each of the competitive masters events. This was no easy task, and pushed some team members as they had never been pushed before.
The total amount raised by the swimathon has not been tallied yet. Congratulations to all involved!
The YMCAs of Québec have contributed $5000 to an emergency fund to help the YMCA of Haiti to recover from this earthquake and help the communities it serves (Port-au-Prince, Kenscoff, Camp-Perrin). In total, the YMCAs have contributed nearly $100,000.
This money has already helped put together a team of volunteers from the YMCA of the Dominican Republic that headed to Port-au-Prince on the weekend with a humanitarian convoy to provide basic supplies (food, water, blankets, tents, medication, fuel, etc.).
Since those first few days that followed the earthquake, the YMCA of Haiti’s youth centre in Kenscoff has been welcoming those left homeless. Kenscoff’s City Hall has allowed the YMCA to use the vacant lots around the youth centre. Other similar expeditions will follow in the coming weeks. The funds will also help rebuild the YMCA of Haiti.
A support committee comprised of representatives from the YMCA of Haiti, various YMCAs in Latin America, YMCA Canada, YMCA USA, Y Care International, and the World Alliance of YMCAs has been established in order to support the YMCA of Haiti during this crisis and its reconstruction. A crisis expert will soon be heading to Haiti to assist the Secretary General of the YMCA of Haiti.
