Relief effort organized at Cornell for Dominican hurricane victims

Responding to the mass destruction in the Dominican Republic from Hurricane Georges, members of student groups and departments on campus met last week to formalize relief efforts for the damaged country. The student, faculty and staff alliance formed the Cornell Hurricane Relief Group, and it is working to provide monetary assistance to the Dominican victims of the hurricane.

Hurricane Georges ripped through the Dominican Republic Sept. 22, causing more than 1,000 casualties and leaving about 300,000 people homeless and hungry. According to the Dominican Red Cross, the country never has seen such mass destruction. It is estimated that about 90 percent of the country's agriculture was destroyed, resulting in a $200 million loss.

The Cornell Hurricane Relief Group is taking immediate action to raise funds. Collection jars are at various locations on campus, including Willard Straight Hall, the Campus Store, student dining halls and residential facilities. Collection jars also are at Ithaca-area supermarkets and businesses.

Other fund-raising efforts are planned, including an Oct. 30 dance party sponsored by Quisqueya, Cornell's Dominican Student Association.

All funds raised by the group, including those from the dance, will go to Ithaca's St. Catherine of Siena Catholic church and forwarded to the Dominican Red Cross.

Members of the community are encouraged to contribute to this fund-raising effort. Tickets for the Quisqueya dance can be purchased at Cornell's Latino Studies Program Office, 434 Rockefeller Hall. For questions on fund-raising efforts, contact Alba Cabral at aoc2@cornell.edu.

All monetary donations should be placed in collection jars or sent to: Alba Cabral, c/o Latino Studies Program, 434 Rockefeller Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853. Checks should be made payable to St. Catherine of Siena and noted as being for Dominican hurricane relief.

Student groups and departments that make up the Cornell Hurricane Relief Group include: Cornell Public Service Center; Quisqueya Dominican Student Association; Latino Living Center; Latino Studies Program; Lambda Theta Phi Fraternity Inc.; Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc.; Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority Inc.; Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Inc.; Cuban American Students Association; and the Cornell Tradition.