Albany Med, City of Albany, and Palace Theatre Join Forces to Help Haiti
ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2010—Albany Medical Center, the City of Albany and the Palace Theatre joined forces today to announce a “Hearts4Haiti” fundraising campaign that will include the selling of hearts at Albany Med, at the Palace Theater, and ultimately at a number of area businesses, as well as a benefit concert Feb. 11 at the Palace Theater.
Mayor Jerry Jennings, Albany Med President Jim Barba, and first year medical student DeeDee Blais made the announcement at a joint press conference held this morning at City Hall.
“I wanted to show that we as a medical community were concerned about the people in Haiti and that we wanted to help out,” Blais explained as she discussed her idea to sell paper hearts in exchange for a minimum donation of $1.
Hearts will be available at Choices Cafe beginning Monday, Jan. 25 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, as well as the Office of Family & Community Medicine (TS-101) and the Volunteer Office (E-136) and select off-site locations during regular business hours. All proceeds will benefit Partners in Health, a Boston-based non-profit organization that has been in service in Haiti for more than 20 years which has taken over the national hospital in Port au Prince. Proceeds from the concert will benefit this same organization.
A number of area musical acts will perform at the benefit concert, including The Audio Stars, Sirsy, Slick Fitty, Jill Hughes, David Malachowski and the Woodstock All Stars. Tickets cost $15 each.
“When Mayor Jennings called me Thursday to announce the city-sponsored benefit concert by the same name (“Hearts4Haiti”), we decided to join forces and make the announcements together,” Mr. Barba explained. “As the northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center, we are the institution that will play a leadership role in any type of disaster here in our region and it is only appropriate that we step up to the plate at this time to help lead the region’s fundraising efforts for the people of Haiti.”
Individuals can also donate online to Partners in Health through Albany Medical Center’s web site.
Tickets for the city’s concert are now available at the Palace Theatre. http://palacealbany.com/EventsandTickets/EventTickets/event.aspx?eid=02a7097f-afe7-4c72-903c-87b1f4a9de50
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Greg McGarry
