Haiti needs help! “Tents, tents, tents “That’s the word we want to get out. We need tents,” said a relief worker to the New York Times. Estimates of 200,000 tents will be needed to house thousands of Haitians until permanent housing can be built. Tents will be needed before the March rains start and the hurricane season begins in June.
Children for Children/Youth HandsOn Network and Hasbro, Inc. have joined together to create a nationwide fundraising initiative for kids – PLAYATHON for Haiti (www.playathonforhaiti.org). This effort will benefit SOS Children’s Villages in purchasing “pop-up” shelters for the orphaned and vulnerable children of Haiti. Email Maureen Byrne at mbyrne@handsonnetwork.org for information on how to request a kit! Supplies are limited and all PLAYATHONS must take place before March 31, 2010. One hundred percent (100%) of the funds your PLAYATHON raises will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages to purchase pop-up houses from Global Village Shelters. Hasbro will match the total amount raised through PLAYATHON for Haiti events in support of SOS Children’s Villages, up to a total of $500,000.
The PLAYATHON for Haiti initiative will run through the end of March, 2010. To encourage participation and make organizing efforts easier, Hasbro has created customizable templates for promoting PLAYATHON events, including instructions, flyers and pledge sheets. The documents can be downloaded from www.PLAYATHONforHaiti.org. All participants can use their existing games and toys and supplement with fun activities.
For updates on PLAYATHONS for Haiti all over the country and to help build the PLAYATHON for Haiti community, please visit the PLAYATHON for Haiti Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PLAYATHONforHaiti.
For more information on PLAYATHON for Haiti or to register a team, please visit www.handsonnetwork.org/playathon.
