Updates from William Dowd at North Shore Community College

Yesterday wrapped up our Haiti relief efforts here at the North Shore Community College. I must admit the planning stages were a bit tedious; our committee had been meeting since January, all went swell at last night’s benefit though, as MC of the night, and it having been my first time ever, I was totally nervous. We pulled it off by raising over 3,100 dollars for Partners in Health.

The evening was slated with back to back performances by local Lynn performers with cool names like Lois Lane and the Daily Planets, Historic Hysteria, Sadi, a poet, that goes by the name of “Big Brother,” Lynn’s St. Mary’s Choir, and guitarist/singer Julio.

Our keynote for the evening, Dr. Annekathryn “AK” Goodman, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and member of the International Surgical Response Team, elegantly and gently read from a piece she wrote of her time in Haiti. Dr. Goodman was one of the first responders. Such a selfless and kind person, wish you could have heard her. I told her she had a perfect radio voice. She laughed.

During our planning stages the committee worried that too many benefits were happening simultaneously, deciding to hold off until April, but with that we considered media repercussions. As with most catastrophes, media outlets tend to cover them unfailingly until the next big story. Until big stories like Lady GaGa’s new outfit, Tigers new mistress, Sandra Bullock getting a divorce, which certainly takes precedent in headlines over the current state of Haiti or international efforts. It’s quite sickening. Our challenge was getting people to still actively pursue helping Haiti despite the dip in media attention.