Macomb, IL – News coverage of the earthquake in Haiti has faded, but some young people in western Illinois have not forgotten about it.
Members of three 4-H clubs - the Town and Country Clovers, the 4-H Goal Diggers, and the McDonough County Mounties - held a "jump-a-thon" in Macomb. 4-H members gathered donations and jumped rope for as long as they could.
The event raised $638.78 for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
"I'm just happy that I raised enough money to give Haiti that much money," says Erin Curley, who brought in the most donations.
One of the other top fundraisers is Isabel Wohlstadter, who says people in Haiti still need assistance even though the earthquake struck months ago.
"There are still people who need help with medicine and they need fresh water and clothing and stuff," says Wohlstadter.
William Wetzel of the American Red Cross says every little bit of that "stuff" is important. He says the recovery effort in Haiti is expected to continue for years.
The 4-H Federation and local businesses provided prizes for the children in the 4-H chapters.
4-H clubs often do community service projects. The members of these clubs decided they wanted to try something bigger and chose Haiti because they were touched by the plight of the nation's people as they try to recover from the earthquake.