Student groups at U of T have joined emergency relief efforts for Haiti in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The epicentre of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake was approximately 25 km west of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital. Haiti’s government puts the death toll at over 150,000 in Port-au-Prince alone, and said the figure for all of Haiti could double once reports come in from other parts of the country. The Canadian government has pledged to match donations that Canadians make to NGOs for the relief effort.

Last week, UTM Red Cross collaborated with the UTM Students’ Union for a project called Compassion for Haiti. Volunteers raised funds from Monday to Wednesday. On Thursday, the group handed a check for $15,902 to the Red Cross at a vigil ceremony. At the St. George campus Thursday, students and faculty shared their experiences with the nation and its culture at Hart House’s Great Hall.

Also on Thursday, the student group Party for a Cause held a ’90s themed party at Brunswick House that raised $1,000 for Save the Children.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union has started a group called L’Union Fait La Force! – Strength in Numbers! The group has the goal of raising $52,296, the number of students that are on the St. George Campus, for Partners in Health and Medicins Sans Frontieres.

“On Tuesday we decided we could manage to get a dollar per student from this campus,” said VP external Hadia Aktar. “We’re going to have donation boxes all over campus starting Monday.” Donation slips for larger amounts are also available at the UTSU office. Akhtar said the group will approach U of T admin to request they match the funds raised.

Upcoming Events to Support Haiti:

International Food Fair to support UNICEF

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. International Students Centre.

Haiti: What you don’t see on the News!

Feat. Prof Melanie Newton and Alyssa Trotz

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6-8 p.m. Location TBD.

Students for Haiti Benefit Concert

Friday, Feb. 5, 9 p.m. El Mocambo. PWYC.