Westporters Eat, Drink And Help Haiti

When Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake earlier this month, Westport resident Ramin Ganeshram knew she wanted to do more than just charge a donation to her cell phone.

"She came into my office and said, 'What can we do?'" said Ellen DeHuff, director of the Saugatuck Nursery School. "The idea started as an upscale bake sale and turned into a star-studded event."

Ganeshram, the mother of a Saugatuck Nursery preschooler, is a chef and former food writer for the New York Times. She said she felt a special connection with Haiti because she's half Trinidadian. Food was a natural theme for the fundraiser since it's her passion and she has a soft spot for U.N. World Food Programme.

In two short weeks, the families of the nursery school and Saugatuck Congregational Church, led by Ganeshram, threw together a food festival/silent auction.

The Food 4 Haiti Food Festival was held today at the Saugatuck Congregational Church and emceed by Food Network TV host Daisy Martinez.

Ten local restaurants and caterers contributed food and 100 percent of their sales. Parents baked cookies and Haitian peanut brittle in bulk,  More than 40 celebrity chefs donated autographed cookbooks to be sold at the fundraiser. 

In the silent auction, bidders competed to win a dinner for four with Martinez at Don Coqui restaurant in New Rochelle, NY. Organizers also auctioned off tickets to The Rachel Ray Show, classes at the Institute of Culinary Education and a chef's tasting menu for two at LeFarm. Dinner at home for 10 prepared by Iron Chef America sous chef Lorilynn Bauer was the biggest draw of the silent auction and raised $700.

Adding to the carnival atmosphere were the face painters who decorated kids' faces with flowers and a person who made balloon animals. There was a coloring station where kids stopped to work with crayons while their parents mingled. After a magic show, two local musicians entertained the crowd with blues and folk music.

Representatives from the U.N. World Food Programme were on hand to accept donations and answer questions. World Food Programme – the largest humanitarian organization in the world – is the group leading the quest to feed Haiti and plans to be providing disaster relief there until at least December, at a cost of $800 million.

Ganeshram and the school hope to planned to put a dent in that number. By early estimates, the event raised over $8,000. Since WFP can provide a meal for just 25 cents, that translates to a lot of full bellies.

Martinez worked the room and lent some star power to the event. As a Puerto Rican woman, the plight of Haitians is close to her heart.

"I think it's a crime that the poorest country in the Southern Hemisphere is off the coast of the U.S.," said Martinez to the room as she encouraged silent auction bids. "It's embarrassing."

"In the end, we're all brothers. If all the Latin communities embraced each other, we could be a tremendous force."

For more information or to make a donation, visit:

U.N. World Food Programme at www.wfp.org

Food 4 Haiti at www.food4haiti.org