Andrew Grene
When a natural disaster like this happens it brings people together across the globe all with one aim in mind, to offer aid and relief to the victims of the disaster. Simon Cowell has teamed up with The Sun newspaper and various artists have pulled together to take time out of their busy schedule to record a charity single for tax free release, so all proceeds go to the Haiti relief fund. Many businesses have made donations to the fund too.
Andrew Grene was born in 1965 in Chicago and grew up on the family farm in Ireland. He devoted much of his working life to the UN, and as a peacekeeping strategist he worked in troubled areas across the globe, from Africa, to Asia to Haiti. He loved, admired, and believed passionately in what he did, and from the bottom of his being, he believed in the joy, spirit, and potential of the Haitian people. Andrew gave his life in the cause of peace, when the UN HQ building in Port-au-Prince collapsed on the evening of 12th January 2010.
Andrew’s twin brother Gregory and close friend Tim Perutz, have set up the Andrew Grene Foundation in memory of Andrew to raise funds for the education of children in Haiti and to aid micro financing small scale business that can make the difference between supporting a family and poverty that is beyond most of our imaginations.
St Mary’s is a three teacher boy’s school in Belturbet, just a stone throw away from Fairgreen where Andrew attended for a time. Members of the school had already donated to Haiti relief through other venues but had a natural affinity with the stated aims of the Foundation. Padraic Martin (Principal) from St Mary’s commented; ‘We were, of course touched by the tragedy which befell the Grene family - some of our parents would have known Andrew. Each term we hold a small, ‘in-house’
Many local schools are holding events to raise funds for the Foundation. Each time, a representative from the Foundation visits the school and talks to the children and the staff about the Foundation and how their money will be put to good use.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
