BRCC staff member at the school

Blue Ridge Community College students who participate in the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise)team – some of whom were in Haiti when a massive earthquake struck in January 2010 — are on their way to more regional and national awards.

BRCC’s team returned from Charlotte, NC recently as the regional champions, and will move on to the national competition in Minneapolis in May for a third shot at the national title.

We were doubly touched by the stories of devastation in Haiti, knowing that two BRCC students and two staff members so narrowly escaped being injured there, and knowing that the school that was their base was entirely destroyed. We’re about to be touched again when team members present their experiences at the upcoming Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy luncheon on April 20.

School students and BRCC team member before the earthquake in January.

In an interview with WHSV tv this week, team sponsor Rebecca Evans says the teams’ real impact on individuals, particularly through their projects in Haiti, sets them apart in the awards competition. She said:

Haiti has been one of the focal points of several of our team’s projects since 2007. Not only is it a country that truly benefits from any form of microbusiness, but its people genuinely appreciate the hand up they are given. The experience also has a profound affect on our students, opening their eyes to the privileges they are afforded everyday simply by living in the U.S.

After the earthquake at the school in Riviere Froide

The school the students visited in Riviere Froide was destroyed by the earthquake while they were there. It was a place that not only educated 1,000 children each day but was the place they were guaranteed a meal each day.

The SIFE team and students from BRCC are now hoping to rebuild the school with donations through the Blue Ridge Educational Foundation. Students have posted the cause on Facebook and at Truehero.org as well. To help, you can donate to the BRCC Haiti Relief Fund through the BRCC Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 80, Weyers Cave, Virginia, 24486.

– posted by Susan Hayden