Domes for Haiti

Last Friday night “Domes for Haiti,” an informative music event, was held in the Britt ballroom at SOU to raise money for the recent earthquake in Haiti. The event, which featured live music, disc jockeys, and an informational presentation, was a fundraiser for Ashland based Pacific Domes and their Haiti relief project.

In response to the Jan. 12 earthquake that hit just outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, Pacific Domes has been working to send as many domes as possible to serve as medical stations and shelter for emergency personnel.

The founder of Pacific Domes, Asha Deliverance, has a history of stepping in and providing domes when disasters occur, most recently with Hurricane Katrina.

“She’s like a mamma,” said Christi Schulz, relief coordinator for Pacific Domes, “When something like this happens, she gets on the phone.”

The first dome that the company sent to Haiti is being used as a medical center for women giving birth.

The company has put roughly $200,000 toward the relief project, and plans to continue to help as long as it is financially capable.

Schulz saw the event at SOU as both a fundraiser and a campaign for awareness.

“We’re hoping the fundraiser to cover some of the costs of the domes, and the efforts for the construction of more new domes.”

Schulz said that as part of the relief efforts she has been calling recent customers in search of unused domes that they might be willing to donate to the Haiti project.

“These domes will stand up to the hurricane winds,” Schulz said, “and basic tarps and tents won’t stand up to those winds.”

The event began just after 8 p.m. with a Native American drumming circle, followed by The T-club, a reggae influenced jam band based in Eugene.

Michelle Bellamy, a singer for the T-Club, and a recent communication and video production graduate of SOU, said that she was impressed with the stance America took in response to the disaster in Haiti.

“I think it’s amazing how the world has reacted,” said Bellamy, “Especially Ashland. I’ve already been involved with three different benefits for Haiti.”

“I love Asha, and everything that Pacific Domes has done, and as far as the T-Club, they are an amazing family to me,” said Bellamy, “It is important that we all come together, between gas and water and electricity, people don’t realize the privileges that we have here in America.”

“The fact that we can all use our talents as musicians, it’s important that we can do that and appreciate the lives that we have,” said Bellamy.

Organik Time Machine, an Ashland based electronica jam band, took the stage next. The crowd size peaked during their set at about 11 p.m., with roughly 150 people scattered inside and out of the Britt ballroom.

Guests were asked to give a suggested donation of five dollars per person, with all of the proceeds going directly to the relief project.

“I just think it is good that they have some money to send,” said Mari Welch, SOU early childhood development major, “If it is 100 percent of the donations even if that means just a dollar or two, you know that it’s worth it if all the profits are going directly to Haiti.”

The music continued through the night, with musical entertainment by local DJs Budge, Bassobese, Linea, and Shakti Bliss.