A Chatham woman who devotes her time to helping people in Haiti is thanking some familiar faces after a successful fundraising event.
Emily Hime, the founder of Rise House International, organized the "Jail and Bail" fundraiser at Locked In Escape Room in Chatham on Friday. Politicians, first-responders and local business owners from CK were all locked in a mock jail cell for an extended period of time and weren't allowed to be freed until they raised money for their bail.
A mix of local recognizable names were on hand including Mayor Darrin Canniff, Councillor Brock McGregor and CK EMS General Manager Donald MacLellan.
According to Hime, the fundraiser was a last-minute idea she had a week prior. Her goal was to raise $6,000 for Rise House International, instead, she was able to raise $8,800. Besides the event being a monetary success, Hime said it was also a great time.
"It was just so much fun," she said. "Definitely the most fun fundraiser we've ever had. The participants were so enthusiastic and were so involved. People were paying [for them] to do ridiculous things and they were willing to do them."
Hime runs a shelter in Haiti that helps children and women during tough times and also teaches them how to prosper through adverse situations. The goal of the "Jail or Bail" fundraiser was to raise enough money to purchase a generator for the facility to help pump water through the building.
"The electricity that the government gives once in a while isn't strong enough to do that. Having a generator, we can make sure there's always water throughout the house," she explained. "Also, it cuts down our costs on food. We've been buying fresh every day but now we can buy in bulk and we can keep it cold or freeze it."
During Friday's event, Hime also got a surprise donation from a man who runs a charity in Michigan and wanted to help Hime with her cause. The man donated the entire amount needed to purchase the generator. Hime will now use the extra money raised to help pay rent at the Rise House International facility in Haiti; it will also be used towards a new initiative that Hime's organization is launching this month, a business program that focuses on helping Haitian women become self-sufficient.
"We have five women that are registered and they're looking to start their own business. We'll assist them with their startup costs and making a business plan and marketing strategies and all that stuff that comes with starting a new business," she said.
This is the first major fundraiser Hime has hosted since rebranding her organization earlier this year. Originally known as Hime for Help, Hime created the organization after travelling to Haiti in 2011 at the age of 19 and taking over an orphanage. She then transformed it into a children's home and helped care for schoolchildren in the poverty-stricken nation. In early June, Hime renamed her organization Rise House International and expanded her services into a women's shelter as well, which provides resources and programs to help address some of the root causes of poverty.
According to Hime, the "Jail or Bail" event is just one of the many ways the community has shown her new initiative support over the last few months.
"I didn't really know how people would react to our new focus and our new rebranding," she said. "The support we've received so far has been incredible."
Hime is preparing to return back to Haiti next week. She is also in the midst of planning more fundraisers, including a large "Jail or Bail" event in Windsor in August.
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