jeremy's run for haiti fund

three miles a day. every little bit helps.

i'm going to start running 3 miles everyday for the next month, starting on thursday, january 21, rain or shine, to help raise funds for oxfam america through its fundraising page option. this will help oxfam continue its operations to supply clean water and emergency supplies to earthquake survivors in haiti.

if you want to sponsor my runs, i'm asking for $5 per each day of running. i know a mile may not seem like a big deal, but if you know me, i wouldn't be caught anywhere without my skateboard. running isn't my thing. i'm dead after a mile. if you're interested, my oxfam donation page is here.

i've never done more than 1 mile at a time. i've had knee problems and got an mri recently. so this is a bit suicidal in my opinion, and will be pretty painful. but i want to give you your money's worth. i'm pretty tempted to convert this to miles skated, but that would be too easy.

if there are other more impressive feats within my ability to accomplish, give me your ideas. the primary goal of this fundraising page is to raise money to help those in haiti and not to entertain, but i also want to work for your donation. again, all monies donated will go directly to oxfam's earthquake relief efforts.

you can be rest assured that any donation going to oxfam will be used well in haiti. oxfam america was awarded four out of four stars by charity navigator. oxfam is a member of the better business bureau's wise give alliance and meets their high standards of operation, spending, truthfulness, and disclosure. in addition, oxfam is rated highly by leading charitable watchdog organizations, including the american institute of philanthropy. please donate here.

if there are other more impressive feats within my ability to accomplish, give me your ideas. the primary goal of this fundraising page is to raise money to help those in haiti and not to entertain, but i also want to work for your donation.
if you think of any other ways that i can fundraise, or what challenges you'd like to see me complete for you to donate, let me know. as long as i'm not jumping off buildings or into lions' dens, it's fair game.

i really don't mean to put pressure on you, and i know that there are a lot of other worthwhile charities that are working on other issues. so whatever you decide to do is fine by me. my heart just goes out to the people in haiti when i see the pictures of the destruction. i just don't know what else i as an individual can do at this point but spread the word. thought that you'd be someone interested in possibly helping, but don't mean to come across as pedantic about this, so please forgive me if that's how i come across. i don't make appeals to family and friends often or lightly. if you do find this blog post about the haiti earthquake helpful/insightful, please feel free to pass it along to anyone you think might want to read it. those interested in donating, can do so here. hope things are going well.


thanks for your consideration.

take care and be well,

haiti earthquake backgrounder and how you can help

i'm sure you've heard of the earthquake in haiti. for those who haven't heard yet, a massive earthquake registering 7.3 on the richter scale struck haiti on january 12th. much of the damage was felt in the port-au-prince, the nation's capital. depending on what news source you read, as of january 17th, up to 200,000 people are thought to have perished, with about 3 million people affected. it is thought that about 1.5 milion people were made homeless overnight. thousands are injured and without food and water, and many are still stuck in collapsed buildings.

although world leaders have pledged millions in aid and have already sent search and rescue teams, food and medical aid, and other forms of disaster response assistance to haiti, help that has actually reached the ground is marginal, partly due to the destruction of much of haiti's transportation infrastructure and a lack of logistical support. it's really awful. i know money is scarce in these times, but if you have a few bucks to spare, i was wondering if you'd consider donating to the humanitarian effort to bring relief to haiti. i've done some research and listed ways you can help at my blog here:

http://jeremymak.blogspot.com/2010/01/help-haiti-now-you-can-make-difference.html

the blog lists many different reputable organizations working on the ground, and provides some more background information on the situation in haiti.


here is the latest update from oxfam, that i got yesterday, jan 16:
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"First, they want you to know that aid is getting through. Oxfam teams have been distributing water canisters since Thursday morning as well as bladders for water stations.

More Oxfam staff are arriving constantly, and we also have search and rescue teams deployed to pull survivors from the rubble.

But their supplies won't last long. And with nearly all clean water systems knocked out by the earthquake Oxfam urgently needs your help to get more aid to survivors.

Please, donate as generously as you can to Oxfam's Haiti Earthquake Response Fund.

As the roads open up in and around Port-au-Prince, we are working to truck more water supplies into the city and set up urban latrines but we can only do so with your help.

The scope of this disaster and the amount of time and resources it will take for Haiti to recover are coming into focus. One Oxfam contact on the ground in Port-au-Prince described the situation as:

"very chaotic with houses in rubble everywhere. There is a blanket of dust rising from the valley south of the capital. We can hear people calling for help from every corner. The aftershocks are ongoing and making people very nervous."

John Ambler, Oxfam's senior vice president, put it this way:

"This is much worse than the tsunami. The infrastructure during the tsunami was not destroyed. People could help their neighbors. In Haiti, everything is gone."

my background

a couple of years ago, i did some volunteer work for victims of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami in phang-nga, southern thailand. seeing the destruction there, even a year after, was powerful. one can only imagine what it must be like in haiti. if i had any real search and rescue or medical skills, i'd be there right now. but i don't, unfortunately. so this is the best i can do for now.