Local musicians will perform again next spring to benefit Haiti

• HHS alumni Thomas Kivi and his partner Sarah Pray

The second annual Hope for Haiti was held last month at The Phipps Center. Among the performers were HHS alumni Thomas Kivi and his partner Sarah Pray, who have been broadcast on 89.3 The Current. They recently toured Europe doing shows for 11 weeks. Submitted photo

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Hope for Haiti Music Benefit was a project that Youth Action Hudson organized as part of PeaceJam, which is an international organization that calls young people to action in making a difference in their world.

At this spring’s PeaceJam conference in the Twin Cities, YAH youth volunteers presented their plan for the Hope for Haiti concert where it was enthusiastically received and supported by the other young people there, as well as the speaker, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who mentioned it in his closing speech. Their benefit would employ the talent of local young people to raise money to donate to the rebuilding of music schools in Haiti.

The money raised at the concert would give music students in Haiti safe places to learn and work toward building a brighter future.

YAH youth learned about the need for help for the Haitian students through the work of Hudson High School alumnus Stephen Anunson and his partner Carolyn Armstrong and their production company, Bel Son Productions.

The benefit was held earlier this month at The Phipps Center for the Arts. It featured the talents of more than 50 individuals ranging in age from middle school to high school and HHS alumni. The eight-hour concert raised nearly $1,000. YAH students performed as well working backstage and on posters and displays for the event. They also utilized social media to get the word out about the concert.

The Hope for Haiti will be held for a third year next spring. For more information, contact Youth Action Hudson at (715) 386-9803.

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