Ron Agam: 01/01/2010

Tuesday night a week ago, announced an incredible human catastrophe of unparallel human consequence. For a few hours, I was totally shocked, watching the reports from Haiti. Four hours into the tragedy, I decided intuitively that I will be doing something personal to help and contribute. Something I was familiar with , create a group of support for Haiti in Facebook. I named it "Help Haiti 2010."

Why Haiti, well as a child, me and my siblings were very lucky to have received the care and love from some wonderful Haitian women who helped my parents raise us. I grew up with Haitian stories, primitive paintings and beautiful stories of this exotic place. For me Haiti was the land of fantasy and beauty, with people that inspired my dreams at night and as an adult these memories are still sticking in my mind like it was yesterday.

So coming back to my facebook group, I saw, how instantly people were signing up to become members. A few hours later I called my friend France Consul General Philippe Lalliot and we spoke about what we can do in NYC, maybe a collection of clothes or something else significant. Talking to him , he mentioned that his deputy Consul was an expert on Haiti and that he had managed the "crisis operation" at the Quai d’Orsay for Haiti in a previous tragedy. I immediately realized that this important piece of information will not stale in my mind. Within minutes I was on the phone with Patrick Lachausee, France Deputy consul General in NYC, and told him that I was setting up a Facebook page for Haiti and I really wanted him to be part of my group and become and administrator. Well that was a very smart move that gave Patrick the ability to express his great communication skills and organization ability a few days later. Trough the next few days, we saw the interest in our group grow significantly , other friends joined and help us increase our visibility. I was speaking to my friend Antoine Blech , a talented French singer in NYC who also operates a successful cabaret restaurant named Opia and told him why don’t you call my friend Vanessa Jacquemin , another talented American Haitian singer who usually sings with her husband , a reincarnation of Django Reinhardt . Well that was the beginning of our fundraiser, the one I am writing about in the following paragraphs.

Thank you all, we can all be proud to have participated in this beautiful night of friendship and solidarity with Haiti whose revenues went to international children's organization “Save the Children”. I want to particularly highlight the effort and vision of our friend Patrick that more than anyone helped us take an idea and bring it to reality through him we can also thank the French Consulate who gave us their moral support for this endeavor..
Richard Ortoli, President of Comité des Associations Françaises also present Monday night, reaffirmed his support and friendship to the people of Haiti. Antoine Blech was incredible, not only did he sing magnificently but he also made Opia so hospitable and generous, everything went so smoothly and gracefully. We had the incredible french rapper Kemedji Kémi alias "Alkimixx" who made a surprise guest appearance that was truly extra-ordinary and riveting.

Again, all the participants were fantastic, all gave the max of themselves to help.

The Francophile and French together with the Haitian community last night responded vigorously and enthusiastically to the fundraiser, about 300 people maybe. For an event that was put together in 3 days it is a huge success.

The fundraiser for Haiti last night was one of the best evening I had in NewYork. It was so emotional and fun and we raised a nice amount of money.

People did not want to leave and it lasted for 6 hours. The artists,Vanessa and Alex Jacquemin, Antoine Blech, Francis Jocky, Super star piano player Patrick Lachausse were incredibly talented. Francis kept the room electrified in ways, I rarely seen before, people were extatic listening to him.Olga Statz, speech brought people to tears of hope.

I could not be happier about its impact on everyone. It was a night that people will remember a long time.

Hopefully that will help us to do another great event a little later this year.

Special thank, to JC Agid, Pierre Battu, Agnes and Bruno Thiery, Pierre Georges Bonnefil, Richard Ortoli, Cecilia Rodhe, Sara Conca, Katrin Yaghoubi Sosnick, Stephane Gerbier,Tobi Rubinstein Schneier