the Informer

Since Jan. 12, almost everyone has heard about the earthquake that damaged Haiti, and subsequently there have been different ways to help.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, the University of Hartford is going to make a difference of its own. The university will be holding a benefit concert to help the Haitians affected by the earthquake. The benefit is sponsored by the Center for Community Service and will be held in Lincoln Theater from 5 to 7 p.m.

Though the concert will be free, the Center will be collecting donations at the door, and all profits will be going to organizations such as the Oxfam Haiti Earthquake Response Fund and the Connecticut Haitian American Organization.

The Connecticut Haitian American Organization will also be collecting canned foods that will be sent to Haiti for the survivors. Any amount or canned item can make a difference.

The school is allowing faculty, students and anyone in the community to perform whatever they want. The committee is trying to get as many volunteers to perform as possible and expects to confirm more performances as the event draws closer.

The Hartford for Haiti committee will try to appease all people in the community therefore the performances will reflect a wide variety of genres.

There will be performances from rap to classical to gospel. Matt Blocker, director of Community Service Center explains, “We want to focus on different genres for the community.”

Before, there will be two guest speakers who are Haitian natives. Henri Alexandre and Leslie Desmangles will share their own angle on the tragedy in Haiti.

Along with these speakers, a Hartford alumnus graduate of 2009 Lisa Etienne, will be speaking before the performances to ensure the details about the concert and give her insights on what will come.

L’Shir, the university’s co-ed student a cappella group, will be performing, along with the university’s Gospel Choir.

Students will not be the only bright stars of the night at this benefit concert: faculty member Nat Reeves from The Hartt School will also be performing with students from the Jackie McLean Institute at The Hartt School. These students are Jared Charrette on saxophone and flute, Kaylin Collins and Aja Wilson with vocals, Kevin Grossman and Dane Scozzari on drums, Sean O’Leary and Sam Parker on piano, Ben Poppin on percussion, Andrew Renfroe on guitar, Josh Bruneau on trumpet and Raynel Frazier and David Julian on trombone.

The combination of all these instruments within the students and faculty should be an interesting and appealing event. More performances will include Hartt School Dean Aaron Flagg, the band “Lifted” which is a student band at the university and a student rap artist, Alexander Lawrence. These people, performances and many more will be giving their support towards the foundation for Haiti.

Along with these performances, accompanying the concert Greek Life will be hosting a Band Bash, and the winner of that event will also provide music for the Haiti benefit concert.

The Student Government Association will also be hosting their own concert, “Pathway for Hope,” on Feb. 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the GSU café, and all proceeds will be given to The Oxfam Haiti Earthquake Response Fund and The Connecticut Haitian American Organization.

The combination of these events will ensure that all of the university can collectively send money to Haiti.

According to Blocker, there were “so many outlets [and] everyone wanted to do something for Haiti.” With that in mind, everyone put together their ideas and eventually it all started to come together.

Furthermore, Blocker states, “Everyone has come together as a local community to help the global community,” which is always a great thing to see students, the faculty and the community coming together to help a country with a disaster.

All the performances are going to be a great asset to help out not only the community and Haiti but to get more people involved and more aware about the horrific disaster that has happened. The more people who come together and help, the more help the community can apply for these survivors.

For more information about the benefit concert “Hartford for Haiti,” contact Matt Blocker in the Center for Community Service at 860-768-5409 or blocker@hartford.edu.