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Aide Haiti

Since the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti two weeks ago, Washingtonians and local business have stepped to organize a number of fundraising events. From concerts to restaurant deals or happy hours, there’s been plenty of options for everyone to help while engaging in their favourite activities. Here is a shortlist of events that are still going on and have caught my attention.

Many bars like The Passengers in Mount Vernon Square have donated a percent of the proceed from an evening’s happy hour to organization operating in Haiti. Vinoteca is taking it one step further with its Happy Hour For Haiti. Through Valentine’s Day, the wine bar will give 15% of its total happy hour sales to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Relief Fund as part of its happy Hour for Haiti. In addition, for every $5 donated to charity outside of the happy hour tab, gets you a raffle ticket and the chance to win a $100 gift certificate. To this date, Vinoteca has already raised over $500.
Restaurant groups are also coming together to raise money for Haiti. The Neighbourhood Restaurant Group has selected a number of menu items at its different locations and marked them with a red cross on their menu. When you buy any of these items (cupcakes at Buzz bakery, wine at Tallula or Columbia Fire House Restaurant and select draft beers at Rustico, Birch and Barley or ChurchKey) the proceeds will go to the Red Cross and Haitian Emergency Rebuilding Operation (H.E.R.O.), which was founded by Frank Thorp, a former Rustico employee whose wife Jillian was stationed in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. The restaurants owned by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj (701, Ardeo, and Bardeo, Bibiana, The Bombay Club, Rasika and The Oval Room) are also donating $1 to the Red Cross every time certain appetizers and entrees are ordered between January 19 and February 19. 

For those who are more into performing arts than culinary arts, the folks at the Lincoln Theatre paired up with the Young Haitian Professional Society to organized a series of events benefiting Haiti. To Haiti With Love at the Lincoln Theatre will occur every Wednesday from 6pm-2am starting January 20 and ending February 10. A variety of musicians, DJs, poets and visual artists will perform and a $20 donations will be accepted at the door. And if you want to combine sun salutations with raising funds for Haiti, Long View Gallery is hosting just the event for you. Universal Relief: a Yoga Benefit for Healing Haiti will take place Sunday, January 30th from 6:30-9pm and feature yoga practice, live music by Jonathan Stark on the cello and Feynman. After the yoga practice, you can explore the gallery and enjoy treats donated by Georgetown Cupcakes and Honest Tea. Space is limited and pre-registration is required with a $15-20 donation requested, all proceeds going to Haiti Lumière de Demain, an education organization based on the Haitian island of La Gonave where many refugees from Port-Au-Prince are now living.


Finally on Monday, L’Alliance Francaise is also hosting a fundraising event to benefit the victims of the earthquake in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders. Starting at 6:30pm, Maryse Burgot, US Correspondent for France 2will lead a discussion with Stanley Lucas of the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee and a representative from Médecins Sans Frontières on the work currently being done on the ground and the progress of relief projects in Haiti. The event will also feature Haitian music, French food and wine with 100% of all revenue going towards reconstruction efforts in Haiti. 
Reservations through Médecins Sans Frontières’ website. Please note, capacity has been reached for this event but you can still donate to Médecins Sans Frontières.

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