Photo by Richard Hurd
Local Business Owners Making a Difference for 1,850 Children in Haiti
Madison, Wis. (March 13, 2019) –What started in 2006 with one school, one teacher and twelve children, has now become a network of schools in Haiti that serve over 1,850 Haitian children in ten schools. Local business owners Doug and Lois Fearing, of Fearing’s Audio Video Security, became involved with Schools for Haiti in 2014 and, in addition to supporting individual children through child sponsorships, host the Schools for Haiti Gala annually to raise funds for the non-profit.
The sixth annual Schools for Haiti Fundraising Gala & Silent Auction will take place on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. The Gala will be held at Madison Marriott West. Laura Gallagher, President and CEO of The Creative Company, will be master of ceremonies. The gala will also feature Brandon Williams, former All-Big 10 Badger & NFL Wide Receiver.
Schools for Haiti is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides safe and nurturing educational environments for the youth of Haiti offering them the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and values so they can flourish and grow. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. The literacy rate is only 61% and 85% of all education in Haiti is performed by Christian and other non-profit organizations.
Schools for Haiti operates schools in and around the city of Montrouis, (pronounced Mo-wee) which is 57km north of Port-au-Prince. The schools provide a quality Haitian education, a daily nutritious meal, and school uniforms to each child. They also employee 181 staff, helping to strengthen the local economy.
In particular, the money raised is going to two specific projects: The Wisconsin School in North Montrouis which serves around 185 kindergarten thru 6th grade students and The Educational Vision Complex, a property that will have elementary and high schools, a mission house for visiting mission teams, and a community center that will serve the entire Montrouis community.
“Becoming involved with Schools for Haiti was an opportunity God just placed in our hearts,” said Doug Fearing. “When Lois and I visited for ourselves and saw the need, we had to get involved. By providing an education to the children of Haiti, we firmly believe it will change the future of the country. Who knows, the next Nelson Mandela or president of Haiti could be a student in one of the schools right now!”
Tickets for the Gala can be purchased online at www.fearings.com. If you are a business and would like to learn more about sponsorships, please contact Lois Fearing at 608-443-2595.
###
About Schools for Haiti:
Schools for Haiti is a nonprofit that operates and funds ten schools in Haiti, the third poorest nation in the world. Schools for Haiti educates over 1,850 students in eight primary schools, one kindergarten and one high school, with an average passing grade of over 86%, along with providing nutritious meals and school clothes. The schools have only Haitian staff, with 181 positions filled by residents, adding greatly to the local economy. Gil and Bonnie Bailie from Florida, and Daniel Michelle, who grew up in an orphanage in Haiti and was in the States at the time learning to operate a water drilling rig, started Schools for Haiti in 2006. The first school had 12 students. The organization has grown tremendously, with Doug Fearing of Fearing’s Audio Video Security joining the Board of Directors in 2015.
About Fearing’s Audio Video Security:
Fearing’s Audio Video Security is a Wisconsin-based and family owned business, with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. Fearing’s is a design-build low voltage systems integrator with core disciplines in audio, video, security, and voice/data/fiber cabling systems serving the commercial and residential marketplace in the Upper Midwest for 21 years.
Fearing’s vision is to make a difference for “our customers, our communities, and our world”. The company supports many local organizations and is deeply committed to Schools for Haiti, a nonprofit which provides education for hundreds of children in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
For more information visit www.fearings.com or find the company on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Laura Gallagher: Laura Gallagher is the President and Founder of The Creative Company, a PR and Web Development Agency in downtown Madison. She is also one of fewer than 100 women to be recognized as a Trailblazer by the State of Wisconsin. She is a 2019 finalist for the SBA’s Women’s Business Champion of the Year Award and Wisconsin’s Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a Global economic empowerment movement where Gallagher also serves as the North American Regional Ambassador. Gallagher is a published author. Her book #180in120 – How to Recharge Your Business was published in March of 2016.
About Brandon Williams: Brandon Williams is a former NFL Player, Author, Commentator and Innovator, who serves on the teaching team at Zion City International Ministries, a faith-based organization. Since 2010 he has been a NFL and College football analyst for FOX, ESPN and BTN. In 2015, after years in the financial services industry, he released his first book called “Millionaire Mindset 7 principles athletes need for financial freedom.
He is also the Founder/Publisher of Kingdom Man Magazine, a personal, professional and spiritual development magazine geared toward men. Brandon has a Bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Entrepreneurship and is a Certified Life Coach with the International Coaching Federation. He has been happily married to B. Marcell Williams since 2011 and together they have 5 children.