Last night, South Florida's two top weekly newspapers (said modestly), New Times Broward*Palm Beach and Miami New Times, donated $5,000 to Partners in Health, perhaps the most important charity in returning Haiti to normalcy after this week's monstrous earthquake.
And
we are challenging alternative newspapers across the country to give
more. We'll match up to $10,000 in gifts to PIH, which runs dozens of
hospitals across the island nation.
The contribution was announced last night at a Manno Charlemagne concert at Tap Tap, South Beach's best-known Haitian joint. Proceeds from that concert also went to PIH.
We
chose PIH because of its stellar background and ability to help. It was
founded by Paul Farmer, who is the deputy special U.N. envoy to Haiti
(and a Harvard PhD in anthropology). The organization has 100 hospitals
on the island mostly outside the earthquake area, so it can render
aid. It provides health care to about a million Haitians, and Charity Navigator
gave it a top grade, because 94 percent of contributions go to charity
(not administration). Writer Tracy Kidder even wrote a book about
Farmer, who grew up in Florida.
New Times also plans to
back several other events designed to raise money for the island: There
will be a concert January 23 and 24 at Peacock Park starring Afrobeta,
Locos Por Juana, and Suenalo, among others, to benefit the Red Cross. And
a fundraiser is planned at the Vagabond. Gibson Guitars plans an auction.
