Local Haiti relief efforts underway

Local retailers, businesses and organizations in Rolla quickly have jumped on board the national effort to offer emergency assistance to an estimated 3-million affected victims of the Haiti earthquake that occurred more than a week ago.

The Zone, First United Methodist Church, The Dance Studio, Coldwell Banker The Baker Group and Rolla Sears store have all joined ranks with other organizations to help with the ongoing Haiti relief efforts.

Tonight, for one night only, from 6 to 8 p.m., The Zone, Rolla’s skating rink is offering admission for the price of one of the following items desperately needed in Haiti: Four AA batteries; two travel-size hand sanitizers; two packages of gauze; Ziploc bags (gallon and quart sized): over-the-counter pain relief medication for infants, children and adults or any kind of antibiotic cream. Sponsors also have requested donations of any hard-sided suitcases to carry the medications.

Owner of The Zone, Angel Johnson, said, “If you would like to donate but are unable to attend the Relief Skate Night, you may bring your donations to The Zone, and we will include them in the package for the Humanitarian Relief Group.

The Zone is located at 555 Blue’s Lake Parkway.

For more information about Relief Skate Night call 341-5700.

The Festival of Sharing, sponsored locally by the First United Methodist Church in Rolla, is requesting donations of prepackaged Health-Care Kits consisting of 1 hand towel (16 by 28 inches); one wide-toothed comb; one nail clipper; one bath-size bar of soap in its wrapper; one washcloth; six adhesive bandages and one toothbrush in its original packaging. (Toothpaste will be added to the kits by Church World Service.)

All the items must be sealed together inside a one-gallon plastic bag with zipper closure and dropped off at the church anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Also, individuals may donate $2 to cover the cost of shipping the Health-Care Kit.

First United Methodist Church is located at 803 Main St.

Additional information about the Festival of Sharing relief effort may be obtained by calling 364-3980.

Project Haiti Relief is accepting donations of used shoes through Feb. 11 at three different locations:

• The Dance Studio, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1100 Highway 72;

• Coldwell Banker The Baker Group, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1025 Kingshighway;

• Rolla Fire & Rescue, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1490 East 10th St.

The relief effort, also sponsored by Soles4Souls and the local organizations, explained that Haitians are in immediate need of the most basic necessities, food, water and shoes, because the amount of broken glass, twisted metal and raw sewage is staggering.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” said founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey.

“We need our partners in Rolla to ‘Step up’ and get behind our call for action,” Elsey said. “It’s one of the most simple, yet profound, gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times.”

Donated shoes should have solid soles with no holes, laces if required, be clean (no mud). Also, donors may rubber-band pairs together or tie the shoes together with laces.

The Rolla Sears store, located at 1070 South Bishop, also is accepting donations for victims of the Haitian earthquake through the American Red Cross.

Shoppers at the Rolla store may add donations of $1, $5 or $10 when they make their purchases at Sears.

Patrons may simply scan the Universal Product Code indicating the donation they want to make, and it will be added to their cash, check gift-, credit- and/or debit-card purchases. The Sears relief effort will run through Jan. 31.

More information may be obtained by calling the Rolla Sears store at 364-1170.