Announcing the Successful Cuba for Haiti Campaign

Press Conference Advisory

Announcing the Successful Cuba for Haiti Campaign

-Canadian Network on Cuba, August 25, 2010 -

The Canadian Network On Cuba (CNC) will hold a press conference on Thursday, September 2 at 3:00pm at A Different Booklist on 746 Bathurst Street, Toronto. We will highlight the continuing success of the Cuba for Haiti Fundraising Campaign and present the plans for the future.

The campaign, launched on January 18, 2010 in response to the earthquake disaster that struck Haiti, has raised more than $140,000 to support the Cuban Henry Reeves Medical Brigade in Haiti. The money has gone directly to assist the Haitian people. None of it has been used on administrative costs.

We thank Canadians for their generosity. Some people have told us they feel they can entrust Cuba with the money they want Haiti to receive. "I am confident it will safely reach its destination and not be squandered through corruption or misuse," one contributor said.

For more than a decade, Cuban medical personnel have been working in Haiti. "You did not wait for an earthquake to help us," Haitian President René Préval told the Cubans.

Since the January 10 earthquake, the Cuban cooperation has grown to encompass 1,304 personnel, including 679 Cuban nationals and 625 graduates and students of the Latin American School of Medicine from 26 other countries, educated by Cuba free of cost. More than 300,000 patients have been treated so far by this personnel.

Cuba for Haiti Campaign Coordinator Keith Ellis, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, captured the prevailing sentiment. "We believe that this kind of unprecedented and invaluable help which Cuba has been giving Haiti for eleven years deserves to be supported as strongly as possible," he said.

For more information, contact:

Keith Ellis

CNC Coordinator Cuba for Haiti

Phone: 905 822-1972

Email: zellis@yorku.ca

Isaac Saney

CNC Co-Chair and National Spokesperson

Phone: 902-449-4967

Email: isaney@hotmail.com