Swampscott parish to hold fundraiser for Haiti school

SWAMPSCOTT – Members of St. John the Evangelist Parish are hitting the bricks to raise money for its sister parish in Haiti. On Sept. 11 walk-a-thon participants will walk two miles from St. John the Evangelist, 174 Humphrey St., to the Lynn/Nahant rotary and back to the church.Funds from the walk will be donated to St. Catherine’s of Haiti to help fund an elementary school in that parish. The Swampscott parishioners adopted its sister parish in 2000 after Deacon Andy Acampora’s visit to the impoverished region in Haiti.Acampora said the local parish decided to focus on ways to help meet the educational needs of the children in St. Catherine’s Parish. He added the economic situation in Ceyes, Haiti is so dire there that $6,000 pays all of the teachers’ salaries in grades kindergarten through eighth for one year.Acampora said the January earthquake did not directly impact the school but it has made it very difficult to get necessary supplies from Port-au-Prince to Saint Catherine’s. He added communication has been limited since the massive earthquake and one e-mail received from school representatives six months after the earthquake reported “conditions are very, very bad.”This is the second year the church has sponsored the walk for Haiti. Acampora said the group collected $4,000 last year and it hopes to raise more than $6,000 this year.The walk-a-thon is open to the public and anyone who raises more than $20 in donations will receive a T-shirt designed by Anita Balliro, who is an art teacher at Swampscott High School. Pledge sheets and information are available by calling 781-593-2544.The walk will be held Sept. 11 regardless of the weather. It steps off at 8:30 a.m. with a rolling start that continues through 11:30 a.m. Walkers should register in Coleman Hall at St. John’s, 174 Humphrey St.Non-walkers may send donations to St. John’s Haiti Walk-A-Thon, St. John’s Church, 174 Humphrey St., Swampscott, MA 01907.