As everyone knows, two weeks ago, an earthquake registering a 7.0-magnitude devastated Haiti.   In the aftermath of the quake, the numbers are only just now beginning to tell the story.  The latest death toll now surpasses 200,000 with an estimated 1.5 million people homeless due to the loss of infrastructure and horrific living conditions.  

In response to the horrific situation, GFI Digital and the St. Louis Blues are partnering with the St. Patrick Center to help raise the necessary funds. 

On Friday, February 12th, GFI and a number of local area businesses will be hosting a fundraiser at the St. Louis Blues Hockey Game.  We will be handing out “Helping Hearts” cookies to an estimated 15,000 fans while requesting a donation with 100% of the proceeds going to Haiti’s disaster relief efforts. 

 The “Helping Hearts” cookies are the result of a homeless person in St. Louis area.  Shortly after the earthquake, this particular person developed the idea of baking and distributing cookies as a fundraiser for Haiti and then presented the idea to the St. Patrick Center. (The St. Patrick Center serves the homeless in St. Louis.) The Center immediately reached out to Hollyberry Baking to help put the idea into motion.   It is an amazing story of someone in need helping someone else in need. 

With that said, we would like to invite others to join us as we help with Haiti’s disaster relief efforts.  The need is both great and time sensitive.  There are several opportunities for people and companies to get involved.

1.) Underwrite a percentage of the cookies that will be distributed on February 12, 2010.

2.) Provide volunteers on the night of the game to hand out cookies and to ask for donations.

3.) Host a fundraiser internally to help raise disaster relief funds.

4.) All of the above, part of the above, etc.

All of the funds that are collected will be funneled through the St. Patrick’s Center downtown and will go directly to the Crudem Foundation  and or the Missionary Association.  Both are directly on the ground in Haiti working to provide support to the people of Haiti.  You can learn more about the Crudem Foundation at crudem.org, the Missionary Association at oblatesusa.org and the St. Patrick Center at stpatrickcenter.org.

In closing, we would like to offer special thanks to the St. Patrick Center and their clients, Hollyberry Baking, Wells Fargo, the St. Louis Blues, Custom Cuts, RBO Print Logistics, Vetta Sports Clubs, Keane Insurance and the employees of GFI for helping to make this fundraising event possible.

 If you would like to join us in our disaster relief efforts, please contact Terry Hurley at 314-503-7314.

 We can do more. Together.