Runway to Haiti

Posted on by Thor

REBUILD globally hosted a night of beauty and impact at the annual fundraising event, “Runway to Haiti: The Night Fashion Meets Impact!” The runway show featured local influencers, community members, and big ambassadors. The show inspired next season’s best trends.

Patrons enjoyed a Deux Mains Designs runway show, music, a silent auction, and more as funds were raised for life changing education and job training programs in Haiti. With the world class pop-up boutique patrons could make an instant update to your wardrobe and impact the world with the latest styles.

Julie Colombino awarded Jim Hobart the first Orlando Global Citizen Award for his photo journalistic work documenting REBUILD globally’s impact in Haiti. Over 100 students have been taught and 85 jobs created that will help families build a life outside displacement camps. Locals are trained to create shoes that are created from recycled car tires.

Julie Antoine is smart and focused. She crossed the border into the Dominican Republic and adapted quickly to Dominican culture. She made a good living selling wares on the streets. One day, she was pulled off the street by Dominican police. Since her physical appearance was Haitian, she was forcibly deported without even being able to get her children. In the displacement camp, she had no idea how to adjust to the abject poverty. She jumped at the opportunity to craft sandals for REBUILD globally. She made her way out of the displacement camp in 3 months. Mose people remain in displacement camps for 17 years.

The goal of the Runway to Haiti fundraiser was to raise $50,000. People raised their hands to donate $1000 each.

Flight Home

Posted on by Thor

I arrived at the Santo Domingo Airport several hours early. I was shocked that there were no lines. I had to fill out all the customs forms and breezed through security with no wait.I sat and watched the crowd slowly gather at the gate for my flight. A nun sat stoically never moving, while a brother and sister fidgeted the whole time. Domino’s Pizza was set up to sell slices and the ads reminded me of the domino players enthusiasm in the park.

On the flight, I sat next to a young missionary who taught English and math to students in small villages around La Cucarita, in the Dominican Republic. She explained that the schools were makeshift but the central village now had a cinder block building. She had to pay her own way to get to and from the Dominican Republic and she couldn’t wait to get home to her own bed. He T-shirt read, Love God, serve people, change the world.

This was Jet Blue pilot, Kevin Kelly‘s, last flight. He was leaving Jet Blue after 30 years of service. The first thing to flash through my mind was that the Titanic captain was retiring after his last voyage. Everyone on board cheered when we had a smooth landing. Jet Blue has a tradition in which two fire trucks spray down the plane with water for a retiring pilot. We were told not to panic. The plane taxied forever. I figured they might be going to a hanger for the ceremony, but then I saw the firetrucks with their tall streams of water arching over the plane. My window went liquid and the green trucks shimmered. Everyone was shouting and clapping. You don’t see THAT every day. It was good to be home.

Airport Delay

Posted on by Thor

Airport delays are always an opportunity to sketch. It seems that most people consider it an opportunity to stare at iPhones or iPads. I assume they are reading a good book. The semi-mirrored windows reflected the interior scene  when the tarmac was dark. One at a time, these Korean tourists scouted out something to eat. They returned with hot dogs and other meat-like products. Four people were waiting on stand by to get on the very crowded flight. One young girl was very anxious since she needed to get to a wedding.

When the plane finally started boarding, it was from the back rows to the front. I was in row six, so I was one of the last passengers on the plane. Flying over the Dominican Republic, I saw large organized grids of palm forests.  The island was lush and green. The plane was approaching the airport on the southern shore of the island so I got a closer view of the changing landscape. The air was hazy from human influence. Many cinder block buildings had rusty metal roofs, many of which were blown off probably from a hurricane. When the plane landed at the Santo Domingo Airport, everyone on board cheered. let the Urban Sketching Symposium begin!