Lawmakers give $23,400 to Haitian ambassador for earthquake relief
by Dara Kam | February 17th, 2010Haiti’s ambassador to the United States got a surprise before giving a speech to the legislative black caucus this evening: $23,400 for earthquake relief.
Ambassador Raymond Alcide Joseph said he expected a free trip to Tallahassee and a free lunch but had no idea that he’d be going home with a fistful of checks.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Joseph told the audience gathered in the House chambers before giving a speech celebrating Black History Month. Two Democratic white lawmakers, Reps. Ron Saunders of Key West and Richard Steinberg of Miami Beach, also attended.
The donations included $5,000 from Hispanic lawmakers; $4,000 from a view-a-thon held by state Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, and others; and $5,000 from the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, the first of many the black caucus said are yet to come.
“I can tell you, this warms my heart,” Joseph said.
Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, organized the fundraiser for Joseph, a journalist who founded a Haitian newspaper.
The money will go into into a bank account opened by the Haitian embassy because so many people wanted to contribute to relief efforts but were leery of giving to some of the organizations collecting the funds, Joseph said.
Tags: black caucus, Haiti
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