Manuel Sigüenza ’12
THE ROUNDUP
As I was watching the Spanish news on TV recently, I saw with my own eyes the devastation the people in Haiti suffered after the earthquake on Jan. 12.
Similarly, I saw the news of the disastrous earthquake in Chile on Feb. 27 and realized that there is a need to help a fellow American country.
According to The New York Times, the first Chilean earthquake on Feb. 27 was at an 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale. CNN stated about subsequent quakes on Mar. 15 and 16, “A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit at 11:39 a.m. local time (9:39 a.m. ET), followed by a 6.7-magnitude quake 16 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. A third, measured at magnitude 6.0, came 27 minutes later.”
The New York Times reported roughly 1.5 million Chileans have been displaced of their homes because of the bombardment of earthquakes, and BBC stated that the Chilean senator, Evelyn Mathei, believes the country will need years to recover from these quakes.
The Brophy Earthquake Relief Fund, created in response to the Haitian earthquake, as said in its name, is designed to provide relief to those who have suffered from an earthquake in a country.
According to Assistant Principal of Ministry Mrs. Kim Baldwin, the fund so far has received an estimated $10,000, and most of the money will be donated to help bring Haiti back up from their devastation.
While the fund helps out the Haitian people, what about our Chilean brothers?
Mrs. Baldwin explained that the Office of Faith and Justice is planning on conducting fundraisers to help support those in Chile, but nothing has been decided yet.
I am sure the Brophy Earthquake Relief Fund will not forget about South American country.
However, I find one of the things that must never be delayed is giving aid to fellow human beings. I understand that Brophy can be a hectic place, but the people suffering may not be able to wait for help.
We all are God’s children and we must help one another when we are at our lowest. What we can do now is hope for the best there and donate when we can as soon as we can.
