More than a thousand students and faculty members from university theater programs across the region, along with dozens of professionals from around the country, donated $1,000 for Haiti's earthquake-relief efforts during the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, hosted at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, January 12–16, 2010.
Festival leadership selected Partners in Health to be the conduit for distributing the funds.
“This is a well-established and highly regarded health and human service organization with decades of sustained humanitarian success in Haiti,” festival chair Juliet Wunsch said.
Donations are still being accepted for this effort. Checks payable to “Partners in Health” may be sent to the Department of Theater and Dance, IUP, Waller Hall, Room 104, Indiana, PA 15705.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival honors excellence of overall production and offers students individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing, and design. The festival is divided into eight regions, and IUP is part of Region II, which encompasses Pennsylvania, seven neighboring states, and the District of Columbia.
In addition, IUP, through the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, has provided support to the children of Haiti for the past two years through the Hearts for the Hungry program.
In that time, IUP Athletic Department coaches, student-athletes, and athletic administrators have donated more than 670 hours of service for this project.
On February 16, Dr. Frank Condino, IUP athletic director, will return to Haiti to offer service.
IUP's Office of Service Learning has developed an IUP Haiti Relief website to let members of the university community know how they may support victims of the Haitian earthquake.