By Fabiola Jean
Last month, actor and activist Jimmy Jean-Louis hosted a fundraiser at Brooklyn’s Milk River to raise money for Ecole Déléard, a school in Déléard Haiti that he founded in following the January 2010 earthquake.
With a theme of “Hollywood Unites For Haiti,” the night included performances by renowned artist, Emeline Michel, and Wanito. Some of the community’s biggest names came together to ensure the event was a success including, David Belle of Cine Institute, photographer Marc Baptiste and designers Ron-n-Ron. There was also a silent auction, where guests could bid on a dinner with Jean-Louis and various pieces of art.
“We have a sense of obligation to those back home,” Jean-Louis said. “Why not use our platforms to be a resource to them so that the culture of Haiti remains alive?”
Déléard is a village with a population of over 60,000 people where there is limited education resources. The school serves over 130 K-6 children in the mountains near Port-au-Prince, Haiti and provides free tuition for all students. Proceeds from the fundraiser will pay for food, supplies, books, teachers’ and administrative salaries, and for the maintenance and improvement of the campus.
For details on where you can make a generous contribution visit HaitianHero.com and for information on the progress and current initiatives for the school. visitfondationdeleard.org