Mother Teresa once said, “It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” On Jan. 4, University of West Georgia students put this idea into action by hosting an Operation Haiti benefit concert to assist earthquake victims.

Sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity and a variety of student organizations, the concert featured a plethora of talent mixed with facts about Haiti’s history and culture. Student organization sponsors included Alpha Phi Alpha, the Student Government Association, the Young Democrats and the Student Anti-Genocide Coalition.

Admittance was free, with a donation of three dollars with proceeds going to the American Red Cross.

 “I said, ‘God, I’ve got to do something other than pray’,” said Jody Carter, one of the developers of Operation Haiti. “Right after I said that, I immediately thought of [creating] a benefit concert. The goal was to make a country that had been invisible to many, including myself, now visible.”

Hosts Jeannie Jean and Keith Collins entertained the crowd between performances, teaching the audience Creole sayings to keep them energized. The United Voices Gospel Choir inspired those attending with the song “Troubles Don’t Last Always,” reminding the crowd that even when things seem their absolute worst, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

The band Optimum Praise kept the audience lively with their music as well. A moving performance by both Carter and Leslie Mack, accompanied by Kyle Dobbs, capped off the night of outstanding talent.

• Facebook Comments
• Site Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out