Travel retail’s Hand in Hand for Haiti project moves to the next stage

HAITI. Hand in Hand for Haiti, the travel retail industry initiative to support the reconstruction in Haiti, is well advanced in its plans to build new school facilities to help the children of the earthquake-ravaged country.

It is now estimated that some 300,000 people (over 3% of the total population) were killed by the catastrophic earthquake of January 12, among them 38,000 students and more than 1,300 teachers and other school personnel.

As reported, Hand in Hand for Haiti was launched soon after the earthquake. An extraordinary outpouring of generosity from most sectors of the travel industry has enabled the project to move forward quickly. A bank account has now been opened and the initial pledges are being called in. To donate please visit www.HandinHandforHaiti.com

A full list of donors (other than those who asked to remain anonymous) is included at the foot of this story.

In March, Hand in Hand for Haiti founding Steering Committee Members Ed Brennan, Olivier Bottrie and Martin Moodie visited the country to gain a better insight into local conditions and needs, and to seek the right location and partners for the school. They met with local politicians, foreign ambassadors, civic and community leaders, construction experts, and specialists from education and other sectors to progress plans.

Brennan and Bottrie will return to Haiti next month to finalise the location of the school and the project scope. They will be accompanied by Kevin Tranbarger, DFS Vice President of Store Development, whose team is assisting on the project. [Note: All costs are being met by the Steering Committee members, not from donations].

To donate please visit www.HandinHandforHaiti.com


The delegation will focus on understanding local construction constraints and will meet with interested contractors. Additionally preliminary discussions will be held on hiring and training procedures for the school’s initial staff (teachers and technical team).

The team will be joined by executives from Altus Page Kirkland, one of the world’s leading property and construction experts and a close business partner of DFS. The firm has donated its services free of charge to the project and will help manage the building process as well as being on the ground through the school’s construction.

A follow-up visit is planned for June.

Hand in Hand for Haiti’s mission is as follows:

Vision: Build new education facilities in Haiti, with best-in-class academic standards, to be supported and funded in the long run though a 501 (c) (3)) non-profit public-benefit corporation

Goals:

– To design and build a hurricane-proof, anti-seismic, sustainable school complex, eventually offering accessible education from kindergarten to 12th grade, in a flood-free zone in area of great need
– To provide long-term financial support, management and academic supervision
– To provide students with bilingual English-French education with best-in-class academic standards, in alignment with the Haitian academic curriculum
– To provide basic health services and nutritious meals to all students
– To optimize local job creation and uphold equitable labour policies at all times, directly or indirectly
– To accompany local policies to develop rural and coastal areas in Haiti
– To be an active and positive force in the local community in the area of vocational training and through partnerships with local schools
– To assess local manufacturing potential and international distribution of locally manufactured goods
– To run the Foundation with strict governance principles, processes and control mechanisms and strong financial discipline

The Moodie BlogHand in Hand for Haiti – reflections on a journey
But just because the overwhelming majority of Haitians are conditioned to hardship should not make it acceptable to the outside world. We cannot stand back and allow this deprivation, accentuated by natural disaster, to be perpetuated.
More on The Moodie Blog

SUPPORTERS’ LIST

We are delighted to publish an updated list of those who have so far pledged financial support for Hand in Hand for Haiti at either corporate or personal level (please note this list excludes an extensive line-up of individuals who asked to remain anonymous, including a leading Asia Pacific travel retail executive who donated US$100,000 to the cause).

Please note: As this list is changing constantly, we will add any omissions to the next published schedule in coming days. Please advise us of any omission or error as we value your contribution hugely.

This is a long-term project, not a short-term relief effort, so it still needs more support. To donate to Hand in Hand for Haiti please visit www.HandinHandforHaiti.com

CORPORATE

Associations

ASUTIL (South American Duty Free Association)
APTRA
IAADFS

Brand companies

Anonymous (several companies)
Asher Jewelry
Bijoux Terner
Bric a Brac
Brown-Forman
Burberry
Choya Umeshu Co
Coach Foundation
Coty Prestige
Diageo PLC
Dinurje
Distilleria Bottega
The Estée Lauder Companies
Fossil
Godiva
Guerlain
Guylian Belgium
(The) Harston Group
H.J. Namdar
Inch-of-Gold
Jonathan Holland & Associates
LeSportsac / Itochu Prominent USA
Luxottica
LVMH
MCM
Movado
Neuhaus
Paramount Gems
Paton’s Macadamia
Patrón Spirits International
Pernod Ricard Travel Retail
Polo Ralph Lauren
Puig
Raymond Weil (Olivier Bernheim, President & CEO)
Rémy Cointreau
Scorpio Distributors (Stuart McGuire)
Toscow
Tortuga Imports
Tumi
Valentino
William Grant & Sons

Other sectors (various)

Air4casts
Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing
CoAdvantage
Essential Communications
Horr, Novak & Skipp
Kavanagh Communications
Law Offices of James J. Stone
The Moodie Report
OEC Miami
Onboard Media (LVMH)
Sunera LLC
Travel Markets Insider (Lois Pasternak)
US Maritime

Retailers/Airports/Airlines/Cruiselines

Aer Rianta International
Aer Rianta International-Middle East
Beijing Capital Airport Commercial & Trading Company Ltd
Bernabel Group (Zeinal family)
Bernard Klepach (DFASS)
Café Britt
Cathay Pacific Airways
DFS Group
Dubai Duty Free
Dufry
Ever Rich from Taiwan
Flemingo International
Focus Network Agencies
Fundacion Ninos Alegres
Grupo Wisa
Harding Brothers Retail
James Richardson Group
JATCo
JFK IAT LLC, Terminal 4
John Bull Ltd
King Power Group (Hong Kong)
Mayfair Trinidad
NAA Retailing Corporation
The Nuance Group
Regstaer
Saint Honore
Starboard Cruise Services

PERSONAL (WITH COMPANY CONNECTION WHERE RELEVANT) – PLEASE NOTE MANY PRIVATE DONORS, INCLUDING LARGE NUMBERS FROM INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES, HAVE ASKED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS

Israel Assa – The Estée Lauder Companies
Loris Bellarmi – Ermenegildo Zegna
Valery Bezverkhniy
Major General (Ret.) Jacques and Anne-Marie Bottrie
Nicolas Bottrie
Olivier and Alexandra Bottrie – The Estée Lauder Companies
Fabienne and Patrick Bousquet Chavanne
Ed and Debbie Brennan – DFS Group
Dermot Davitt & family – The Moodie Report
DFS employees (various)
Peter Dowling – The Moodie Report
Paul J. Fribourg – Continental Grain Company
Harvey Gedeon – The Estée Lauder Companies
Sarah Genest & family – The Moodie Report
Alan Hairabedian (Mr and Mrs) – The Estée Lauder Companies
Ray Heath – The Moodie Report (services provided)
Jane Hudis Hertzmark – The Estée Lauder Companies
Rakhita Jayawardena – Centaur Travel Retail
Richard & Guylaine Joncour
John Korinis – The Estée Lauder Companies
Deborah Krulewitch – The Estée Lauder Companies
Jessica Lana – The Moodie Report
Sharon & Alain Li – Richemont
Peter Lichtenthal – Bumble and Bumble
Tea Lindblom – William Grant & Sons
Rebecca Mann – The Moodie Report
Raghav Mittal
Ali Moodie
Martin and Anousheh Moodie – The Moodie Report
Samira Moodie
Sara Moss – The Estée Lauder Companies
David Nass – The Estée Lauder Companies
Melody Ng – The Moodie Report
Ron Norris – The Estée Lauder Companies
Nick Prado – Tiffany
Cedric Prouve – The Estée Lauder Companies
Mandy Sime – The Moodie Report
Bari Seiden – The Estée Lauder Companies
Jean Charles Seite – The Estée Lauder Companies
Javier and Virginie Simon – The Estée Lauder Companies
Mimi Tang – Gucci Asia Pacific
Jennifer & Larry Tuchman & Family – The Estée Lauder Companies
Sunil Tuli – King Power
Sylvie Vandenhurck – The Estée Lauder Companies
Gilles Vigeral – Mayda & Gilles Vigeral
Arnaud de Volontat – The Estée Lauder Companies
Claire Wates – The Moodie Report
Antoine and Max Warney
Fabrice Weber – The Estée Lauder Companies
Henrik Wendler – Ambu A/S
Bob Wilby – The Moodie Report
Matt Willey – The Moodie Report
Cecilia Wong

For more details on Hand in Hand for Haiti, please visit www.HandinHandforHaiti.com

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