Andrew Grene was the sole Irish fatality in the Haitian earthquake that claimed 250,000 lives on January 12, 2010.
Andrew, a New Yorker, was a United Nations Civil Affairs Office working in Haiti at the time of the massive 7.0 quake.
A foundation was launched at the time in Cavan where Andrew was laid to rest. Seven years later, the Andrew Grene Foundation was the recipient of the William Jefferson Clinton Goodwill for Haiti Award.
Now, fourteen years after the quake, the anniversary of the quake and Andrew's death will be marked Friday evening with a benefit concert, the Annual Andrew Grene Foundation Benefit, featuring The Prodigals. The band will be fronted by Andrew's twin brother.
The concert is presenting itself as "Good Music, Good Guinness & A Good Cause." Also appearing will be Mary Courtney and Padraig Allen.
It takes place at Paddy Reilly's, 29th Street and Second Avenue "from 8.30 p.m. until late."
The Andrew Grene Foundation works to fund the education of school students in Haiti and in Andrew's memory.
According to a release, Andrew Grene worked for the United Nations in some of the world’s most precarious situations, among them the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
"He helped to broker the peaceful transition of power from Indonesia to an independent East Timor. In his final posting he worked passionately, with unwavering courage and with an unshakeable belief in the country and the people of Haiti.
"In memory of Andrew’s humanitarian efforts, the foundation built The Andrew Grene High School in Cité Soleil, opening it in August 2011, just eighteen months after the AGF was founded – and they now provide full-time education to over 250 students aged 11-19 through their Sponsor a student program.
"Their ongoing work is in the hope of making a difference in Haiti, where many families cannot afford to educate their children as 33% of children aged 6-12 do not attend school, more than 50% of the population is illiterate and 80% of students drop out of high school because they can no longer afford to go. The foundation also runs a microfinance project in Aquin, a rural area in the south of Haiti, with a proven track record of lifting women and their families out of extreme poverty. They work in areas that are so remote that no bank is willing to serve them, and give loans to people who would be refused by traditional banks. The loans change lives, giving the borrowers, in their own words, ‘dignity and hope.'"
More at andrewgrene.org and prodigals.com
