An aid organization in Haiti with Chatham-Kent roots is getting a significant funding boost thanks to a music-themed fundraiser.
The Rise House International Rock-a-Thon was held in Chatham on Saturday. The event featured 12 hours of live music.
According to one of the organizers, Dr. Jason Denys, over $12,000 was raised from the event.
"In typical [Chatham-Kent] fashion, everyone came together," Denys said. "We had a great crowd. People were very generous at the event. It went off without a hitch."
Denys said he couldn't be more pleased with how much was raised. The money will benefit Rise House International, a charity that was founded by Chatham-Kent's Emily Hime and operates a safe haven for women and children just outside of Port Au Prince in Haiti.
Denys himself plays in a band and said he and his bandmate were brainstorming ways to raise money for the organization when the Rock-a-Thon idea came to them.
"We reached out to other bands in the community and all those bands generously stepped up to the plate to donate their time," he explained.
The event was held at Sons of Kent, which also created a limited edition beer to help raise money for Rise House International.
According to Denys, the charity's board of directors will be determining what the funds will be used for.
"There's so many needs [In Haiti.] From what I hear, that'll keep the orphanage and centre running for two to two and a half months," he explained. "There are always needs there. It's a nice charity because it's local, we know that the money is going to be used. It's not an administrative heavy charity, so the money goes directly to the people there. It just warms your heart in terms of seeing such generosity from the community for people half away across the world, in a remote place. It was awesome to see."