Following is a letter from an ICC supporter who helped to spearhead efforts to raise money for ICC through her children's school. The students at the school raised more than $2,000 through a bake sale/pop can drive. Efforts like this one are happening across the country, helping to raise money for Grace Children's Hospital and the people of Haiti. We encourage our supporters to think about how they can make a difference for Haiti by raising money- every little bit helps, and your donations today will help the people of Haiti rebuild.

My name is Colleen Smith.  My husband Ed and I have 5 children, 4 of which attend Kalamazoo Country Day School - a nonprofit, private school which serves children from pre-kindergarten through the 8th grade.  We currently have 140 students.  After hearing about the devastating earthquake in Haiti last month, my children and I started a "Hearts for Haiti" relief fund that would incorporate each student, faculty members and family members of our school.  We decided to make delicious heart-shaped cookies, rice-krispie treats, muffins, and brownies over a 5 week program.  Every Monday I would bring in 70 - 90 treats to be decorated by two classes.  For instance, the 7th and 8th graders decorated heart-shaped cookies on Monday then sold them at the completion of school on Tuesday.  The following week the 5th and 6th graders decorated their cookies on Monday and sold them on Tuesday.  This continued weekly with the 3rd and 4th graders next, then 1st and 2nd and finishing off this week with the preschool and kindergarten classes.  We sold the treats on every Tuesday in memory of those lost in the earthquake on Tuesday, January 12th.  Each cookie/treat was worth $5.00.  Our goal was $1000.00.  I had a growing thermometer in the front hall of the school each week to watch our growth.  I also would update every parent and child each week via email as to what the situation was for that week in Haiti.  I focused on your website updates on Grace Children's Hospital.

How did I choose your organization?  I read an article in the Kalamazoo Gazette shortly after the earthquake.  I felt that helping Grace Children's Hospital would be more "tangible" for the students - our children helping your children. 

Each week of our sale we placed two Haitian flags on the sale table with your pamphlets about Grace Children's Hospital along with 70-90 of our delicious cookies/treats.  The cookies/treats were all sold within 1/2 hour - 45 minutes each week - Wow!

My goal was to raise money for this very needy cause.  My personal goal was to bring awareness and compassion into the hearts of our children.  We live in such a privileged environment and are so lucky.

Well it worked......... We managed to double our goal and raise over $2,000.00.   Through these past five weeks I have been blessed to witness not only the extraordinary talent of our young minds and their hands with decorating, but their desire to help, their willingness to help, their love, their compassion, but most of all their hearts....  That is why we named this relief fund for Haiti - "Hearts for Haiti".

Thank you for all you do for those in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  Your organization has been a lasting impact on so many persons young and old all over the world....

With sincere gratitude,

Colleen Smith