By Jenell Grewell |News Editor

On Tuesday Jan.12, an earthquake ranging from 6.5 to 7.3 on the Richter scale shook the nation of Haiti and the APSU and Clarksville communities have reached out to aid Haiti relief.

Yonette Martin, personal assistant for Human Resources, said “I think a lot of people will agree with me that people do not really hear a lot about a country till it is negative.”

She said a lot of people do not know about the economic struggles of Haiti.

“The Haitian country is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere and for this disaster to happen to them is a major setback,” Martin said.

She said it will take a lot of support from neighboring international countries to help Haiti.

According to the Associated Press the estimated death toll is 200,000 as of press time, Monday, Jan. 25.

“It was a natural disaster and I feel as though not just me but all of our campus community members would have the heart and compassion to want to help,” Kathleen Evans, administrative assistant for University Recreation, said.

Evans, Martin and other members of the African American Cultural Center staff have made efforts to begin the Haiti relief on the APSU campus. Martin said it is important to give back not only on campus, but in the community.

To start relief efforts at APSU, Martin said the President’s Office was contacted to find out what the campus could do help the Haitian community. She said the Department of Communications is trying to contact the campus community with e-mails to get donations.

Evans said the first thing she did to help the Haiti relief was encourage student organizations to mobilize and solicit donations.

“In the Foy, there are a group of women who attend my fitness class and they also attend my off-campus classes and we have donated all of our participation fees from last weekend’s sessions to Haiti relief,” Evans said.

On Thursday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Jan. 30, students will get free admission to the APSU vs. Eastern Kentucky and the APSU vs. Morehead State games with a donation to the Haiti relief. The donations will go to the Visitation Hospital Foundation.

The Visitation Hospital is located in Petite Riviere de Nippes, in southwest Haiti and the Visitation Hospital Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Nashville.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, a telethon will be held with music performances by The Kansas City Blues Band, Chuck Emery and Friends, The Silver Eagle Band, The Randy Janowski Trio, The Salem Ridge Quartet, Ted Jones professor emeritus, Stanley Yates, Tom Bark, The Beagles and APSU President Timothy Hall.

Events will take place from noon to midnight at Clarksville First Church of the Nazarene and Department of Communications main studio and 6 p.m. to midnight in the Music and Mass Communication concert hall.

From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., all profits made by Einstein’s Bagels will be donated to the Visitation Hospital Foundation. Donations will be accepted at the many event locations or donations can be made by phone at (931) 221-PEAY.

If there is a desire to volunteer for the events, students, faculty and staff can contact Mike Gotcher at gotcherm@apsu.edu.

A letter was sent to department heads by Victor Felts, director of Student Life and Leadership, about an auction for Haiti relief.

The auction is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the UC lobby. In the letter, Felts asked for the department heads to pledge a service or prize to be auctioned off.

Some of the things in the letter that were listed as already being donated included, a $500 housing scholarship by the Housing Department, Chartwell Bucks by Dining Services and a free service trip by Student Life and Leadership.

“It is wonderful to see the campus unify to help these unfortunate victims. It is them today, but it could be us tomorrow,” Evans said.

“Wonderful things have happened to help the victims of Haiti. We are the volunteer state.”