Lee Larson bought eight $1 pizzas and the cheapest beer he could find— $0.14 per ounce—for the party he hosted Saturday night at his two-bedroom apartment in Sioux Falls.
Nope, Larson is not a college student; he is just trying to do his part to help.
Like many South Dakotans, Larson, 25, wanted to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake on Jan.12 left the country in rubble. But he wanted to do something that would encourage his friends to donate as well. Instead of sending a text message or entering his card number on the Web site of an unfamiliar nonprofit, Larson hosted The Great Haiti Stay-In.
He invited a group of friends over for cheap food and board games then encouraging them to donate whatever money they would’ve spent on a regular Saturday night to Haiti relief. They cleaned their cupboards for leftover snacks and beverages and spent as little as possible for an evening with friends.
“I just started thinking of ways to get involved that is the best of (all) worlds: having fun, helping out and getting others involved,” he said. “Basically taking what we would’ve done a normal Sunday, which could be going out to dinner, going to a movie, going out for drinks and still getting together inexpensively and taking the difference and donating it to Haiti.”
Larson came up with the idea when his coworker, Emily Knudson, asked their office for money and supply donations to a Mission Haiti orphanage in Ti Riviere. Mike and Pam Plasier, of Tea, S.D., founded the nonprofit in 2005 and Knudson had done mission work through organization. Larson said donations would help with medical expenses and rebuilding the orphanage.
Seven people attended The Great Haiti Stay-In (weather impacted a few guests availability) and Larson passed around a white envelope for donations, keeping amounts anonymous. Although it was a small group with donations these recent college graduates (there was one college senior) could handle, they did raise $64 and they did it together. This event was just a normal Saturday night with friends but the funds redirected to an important cause.
“It’s also a change to get together and realize what we have,” said Larson, who hopes is friends can do this for future causes. “It’s a lot easier to do it as a group.”
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
What a great idea!