Thanks For Supporting Our 9th Annual Gala

Thank you to all of the Haiti On The Rise supporters who helped make our 9th Annual Gala a successful event. The images below, taken by one of our volunteer photographers Jackie Bacon, capture much of the atmosphere of giving and love present that evening. The March 16th event was held at St Francis Hall in St Mary’s Cathedral Event Center at 1111 Gough St in San Francisco where it had been presented annually from 2016 to 2020. Thank you so much to all the volunteers who helped set up St Francis Hall prior to the event.

After checking in with Executive Director Jackie Lee, Annette, & Isabel to start the evening, many attendees took interest in the Haiti On The Rise Exhibit Table which showcased our nine years of humanitarian work in Haiti. Our current construction of La Grotte High School, past projects of other community buildings, the growth of our student scholarship program, and our emergency relief efforts were displayed via posters and other images. The exhibit was also adorned with authentic Haitian arts and crafts.

Surrounding the Exhibit Table were the Reception & Silent Auction areas. An abundance of hors d’oeuvres and appetizers, featuring homemade Haitian pate, was paired with white & red wines and other beverages. The exquisite reds – an Old Vine Zinfandel and a Cabernet Franc – were provided by Bar None’s Canyon which overlooks Sonoma’s Valley of the Moon. As attendees enjoyed the delectable assortment of the reception, they strolled through the Silent Auction area. Presented was an array of auction items in popular categories such as Fine Food & Beverages, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Health & Beauty Care, Fine Dining, and Flowers & Plants. To complement the ambience of the evening, relaxing and festive music was performed by professional violinist Jeremy. Haiti On The Rise thanks all of its auction item donors for their support.

Authentic Caribbean Cuisine was prepared by our team of Haitian cooks and served in a buffet setting. Featured entrees included wild caught salmon in sauce, chicken in sauce, and whole crabs over legumes. Such savory main courses were complemented with offerings such as black mushroom rice, pasta or potato gratine, mixed vegetable medley, garden salad, and pikliz. Thank you to all of our food preparers for making such fabulous fare.

Haiti On The Rise board member Randall Lee opened the evening’s program by providing a brief history of Haiti; how the island nation for centuries has been a place of unwanted foreign interventions; and how internal and external forces through time have manifested into the current socio-political environment there today. On a very positive note regarding Haiti On The Rise, Randall introduced video presentations which exhibited the growth of our scholarship program, including our first nursing school graduate; our annual Holiday food distribution performed by our local volunteers in downtown Port-au-Prince; the continued construction of La Grotte High School with the first floor already put towards educational use; and a special feature on our scholarship students, the historic sites and natural beauty of Haiti, and other extraordinary aspects of Haiti’s rich culture. Haiti On The Rise has been fortunate in that our students, their families, the La Grotte construction team, and our local volunteers have been safely conducting their daily lives as of the time of this writing.

Haiti On The Rise founder Jackie Lee continued by thanking all of our supporters for their help during our first nine years of humanitarian work in Haiti. She was grateful that so many have entrusted Haiti On The Rise to alleviate suffering, provide relief, and foster development through our scholarship program, construction projects, and food & healthcare distributions. Jackie emphasized that Haiti On The Rise shall continue to focus on such areas of relief, particularly Education, as these institutions enable younger Haitians to later provide for their families and give back to society – thereby bettering their communities for the future.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of the Marin Independent Journal, a longtime supporter of Haiti On The Rise, reiterated the ways in which non-profit organizations such as ours enable the growth and development of young people through Education so that they and their communities can progress positively. He pointed out that Haiti On The Rise works with a trusted network of partners and volunteers in Haiti and that raised funds are deployed towards humanitarian projects directly and with extremely low overhead.

Perennial supporter and Master of Ceremonies Paul V. guided gala attendees through the all-important appeals for completing La Grotte High School construction and for student scholarships spanning from primary, middle, & secondary education to higher education. Because of your generous giving, Haiti On The Rise’s fundraising goals for 2024 have largely been met. We look forward to build the high school towards completion, grow the scholarship program, and provide emergency relief when we can.

Thank You to all those who have supported Haiti On The Rise in some manner! Your contributions have made a great difference to those in need in Haiti. To conclude our evening of love & gratitude, the Lighthouse Singers Gospel Choir of Marin (LHS) – another dear supporter of Haiti On The Rise – performed I Was Glad, Happy On My Way, & Grateful. LHS is led by Choir Director Steven Roberts.

Please listen to LHS perform at our 9th Annual Gala by clicking on the Play arrow below to the left.

For those who would like to Donate to Haiti On The Rise, please visit our Donate page. Thank you again to all who have been a part of our humanitarian journey in Haiti. We look forward to being in contact with you again soon, and see you at our 10th Annual Gala on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025!

With Much Love & Gratitude,

Jackie & Randall Lee