Meetings help Haiti

The American Bus Association didn’t take long to act on one unexpected piece of business at its motorcoach and group travel trade show event. Meeting in Washington, D.C., just days after the Haiti earthquake, the ABA board of directors agreed to donate $25,000 to earthquake relief efforts.

“I am proud that we as an association were so committed to putting aside our business agendas to focus on the humanitarian need far more important right now than anything else,” said ABA Board Member and Secretary/Treasurer Frank Henry. “We hope other bus, tour and travel groups join the relief effort by matching ABA’s commitment to helping Haiti recover.”

In fact, the hospitality and meetings community has joined the global relief effort that has mobilized churches, civic groups and celebrities, among others. Reports on MeCo, the online community for meetings professionals, and other social networks keep coming in about fundraising efforts at current and upcoming conventions and conferences.

Meeting Professionals International has compiled a list of other confirmed legitimate relief efforts on its blog. (Additional information about hospitality and tourism organizations that have given is included in the comments below the post.)

Donations collected at your event can also go to established faith-based organizations including Compassion International, Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse. View Samaritan’s Purse President/CEO Franklin Graham’s Haiti appeal from Chennai with updates on the organization’s work on the ground, below.

Many of the Americans who were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake were there on missions. Here is one story of a group from three Free Will Baptist churches in North Carolina and Virginia.