Victoria Esteve
Staff Writer
The Newman Club held a fundraiser to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy. The club has been collecting items such as baby necessities, socks, and scarves among other things in the chapel. The Mayor of Glen Clove, Ralph V. Suozzi, called and asked for assistance in the aftermath of the hurricane. “His office called me personally…asking if I could get students to help,” states Father Ted Brown. “The first group I reached out to was the Newman Club and others helped on other days… I stopped in at the mayor’s offices in Oyster Bay and Glen Cove, and [wrote] an email to the mayor of Brookville. The mayor of Glen Cove is an alumnus of LIU and responded. He personally thanked our students when he came to the shelter and said ‘he was proud of his school’.”
The collected items will be distributed to the organizations the club is working with, which include The Jewish Community and Catholic Charity. The goal is to aid the victims of the Hurricane disaster with some of the items they will donate. “We just had to help the community,” said Newman Club Vice President Sally-Ann Gaughan, a senior Early Childhood Education major. “Students have been really responsive, faculty and staff as well. Some of the stuff has already gone out [to the charities].”
“LIU has set up a disaster relief account since the 2005 tsunami,” said Father Ted Brown, advisor for the Newman Club. The University set up the account for emergencies like Hurricane Sandy. “People want to give right away. We can’t say ‘oh wait until we set this up’…so far we have raised $500-$600 [since last week].” For Thanksgiving, the Interfaith Center has collected food and clothing as well.
On November 12, the club held a Coffee House Benefit where participants enjoyed an open mic benefit by candlelight in the chapel and were able to donate money. The club was able to raise around $100 that evening.
“Long Island is part of a community, a community that has given us education and employment,” said Father Ted. “Now we are suffering. It is always important to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable.”
The fundraiser is going to run until the end of the semester, but according to Gaughan, there is no end in sight. “It might take years for us to get back to where we were,” she added. “We open our door to anyone who needs help.”
For those who want to donate, they are accepting items in the chapel.
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