What's Happening in Hollywood, FL…

The Hollywood ArtsPark in Hollywood, Florida was recently host to a concert sponsored by Hollywood CARES for Haiti, which is a partnership between the First Presbyterian Church and Temple Beth El in Hollywood. The event was held in order to benefit Project Papillon, a community youth center and orphanage in Haiti.

According to Rabbi Allan Tufts of Temple Beth El, the neighborhood of Delmas in Port-au-Prince is the focus of Hollywood CARES and is a community of 31 kids. The kids are looked after by the organization, which operates a service center for youths and helps out hundreds of additional kids in the neighborhood – particularly those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.

The organization grew from the proximity of Florida to the county of Haiti. Members of the organization go to Haiti twice a year to spend time with the staff and children of Project Papillon.

The concert was free to the public but those who attended were asked to make a donation. Among the acts featured at the concert were Rachame Francois, who now lives in Florida but grew up in Haiti and wanted to show her support for the county and its culture, and Bennchoumy Ellen, who also wanted to show his support for a good cause.

Support was also shown by the Mayor of Hollywood, Peter Bober, who said that the concert helped people to become more aware of the sad situation of the people in Haiti. No doubt flyer printing and poster printing were also used by Hollywood CARES to promote the event and solicit contributions from the community.