MSSU student teams up with Joplin Helps Haiti for fundraising event

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Heather McJunkins (left), a student at Missouri Southern State University, works with a group Wednesday on her senior project, Hope for Haiti Day. The fundraising event will be staged Friday at MSSU. Suzette Clevenger was among those working Wednesday on plans for the event. Globe/T. Rob Brown

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April 28, 2010

From staff reports news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Wed Apr 28, 2010, 10:02 PM CDT

JOPLIN, Mo. — With five children and a full load of college hours, Heather McJunkins knows how to juggle more than one thing at a time.

But organizing Hope for Haiti Day on Friday at Missouri Southern State University has been especially challenging for the business management major who will graduate in July.

“I took this on for the experience, but I also love helping people,” McJunkins said. “I did not realize that until now — how much I enjoy doing this. This has been in the works for nearly 2 1/2 months. But it’s coming together wonderfully.”

Kim Gray, in the business education department at Missouri Southern, is assisting McJunkins. “Heather has gone far beyond the requirements of her class,” Gray said. “She has organized a great project.”

On Wednesday, an organizational meeting was held in the Lion’s Den at MSSU to take care of last-minute details. Members of Joplin Helps Haiti, a local relief group that formed after the Jan. 12 earthquake struck the island nation, are assisting McJunkins, along with the college staff, a dozen or so Haitian students and a local Haitian family.

For a class project at Southern, McJunkins organized a campaign to collect personal hygiene products for shipment to the country after the earthquake.

“Collecting the hygiene products for Haiti was not as successful as I wanted it to be,” she said. “But that is what evolved into Hope for Haiti Day. That’s how it began.”

McJunkins, a nontraditional student from Carthage who returned to school after being away for 11 years, said her fundraising event for the Haiti relief effort stems from a class project that was required as part of her organizational behavior course taught by Nanette Philibert.

“We are required to do a project that helps others or helps to improve the community,” McJunkins said. “Instead of focusing on the tragedy that has occurred there, we want to celebrate Haiti, the people and the culture. We want to provide an educational experience, entertainment, and good food at a good price.”

Hope for Haiti Day involves two parts. An educational event for students and the public will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday under a tent on the Oval. Coffee and doughnuts will be served. Participants will find several booths that pertain to home construction in Haiti and how to volunteer for a mission to the country. Other booths will involve agricultural and medical needs.

A cultural event that includes the booths will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Oval. Traditional Haitian foods of pork, chicken, rice and beans will be prepared by local Haitian families and students. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children and $20 for families.

The event also will feature games for children, face painting, hair braiding, Haitian dancing and singing, an art exhibit, and kite flying. Kufara, an African drum band, is to perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In the event of rain, activities will be moved from the Oval to the Lion’s Den.

Haiti Day prizes

More than a dozen Joplin and area restaurants have donated gift certificates and coupons as prizes for a drawing. Tickets for the drawing will be available for purchase at the event. Haitian art also will be available for purchase.

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MSSU student teams up with Joplin Helps Haiti for fundraising event

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