Last semester, Hoops for Haiti, an event sponsored by Freshmen Studies, was able to raise and donate $700 to DOVE's Haiti program. According to Elizabeth Hoehn, a freshman studies mentor, these funds were raised in a variety of ways, which included Freshmen Students tabling in both Mooney Hall and outside the Pirate dining room. They also sold Hoops for Haiti T-shirts and collected donations. A game night was held on Nov. 17 which welcomed a $1 donation. Participating students were able to play games such as knock-out and free-throw shooting contests, as reported in a Nov. 29 article by The Setonian. Finally, Freshman Studies held a competition between University Life sections to see which could raise the most money. According to Hoehn, section AL won, generating the largest donation. Overall, Hoehn said tabling donations and t-shirt sales accounted for the bulk of funds, and the proceeds mainly came from students. "About 50 freshmen ended up volunteering through the Hoops for Haiti program," Hoehn said. Hoehn was also impressed with how the freshman class united for this program. "The class of 2014 seemed to come together for this cause, after being impacted by their summer reading selection, 'Mountains Beyond Mountains'," Hoehn said. The funds donated to DOVE's Haiti program went to the Maison Fortune Orphanage, which is located near the town of Hinche in the Central Plateau region of Haiti. According to David Peterson, a campus minister, all money collected by DOVE, Campus Ministry and other groups on campus goes to this orphanage. According to Peterson, the establishment is home to 250 children. It also has a school and feeds an additional 500 children from Hinche. It was founded in 2000 by Jean Louis Lefort, a Haitian graduate of Virginia Tech University. Peterson said Lefort will be visiting campus in April and will speak of the orphanage`s mission and development. The Unviersity has also worked to raise money for Haiti this semester, as well. In February, there was a basketball tournament named "Hoops for Haiti," of which Peterson was a part. However, this event did not specifically aim to raise funds or awareness about Haiti's negative conditions. "The intention of the tournament wasn't necessarily to raise awareness of the harsh conditions or even to raise money, but rather for people to come together, first in prayer, and then in fun and basketball," Peterson said. Angelo B. Montero can be reached at Angelo.montero@student.shu.edu
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