WEST HARTFORD – Many people were horrified by the images of destruction that followed the recent earthquake in Haiti. It was a serious blow to the already struggling and impoverished third world country.
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford so far have responded by giving more than $1.75 million to Catholic Relief Services after an appeal from Archbishop Henry J. Mansell.
One local woman who took up the cause on her own is Karen Fritsche of St. Helena Church. As a result, her parish and five others in tow are working together on a walkathon for Haiti.
Ms. Fritsche is one of the driving forces behind CT Walks for Haiti, a fund-raiser designed to focus attention on the needs of the Haitian people and to raise money to enable the work of a group of six established 501(c)3 charities. The walk is scheduled for April 10 in West Hartford Center.
The beneficiary charities are: Haitian Health Foundation, Partners in Health, Haitian Humanitarian Network, Hospice St. Joseph, Medical Aid to Haiti and Partners for Haiti.
Actually, Ms. Fritsche’s involvement with and interest in the people of Haiti began long before the earthquake. Her former parish in Cambridge, Mass., where she lived before moving to West Hartford, has an ongoing relationship with charities serving Haiti. Ms. Fritsche co-founded a walk for Haiti there that since 2004 has raised $250,000.
"We started planning in July" of 2009 for this year’s CT Walks for Haiti, she said. The earthquake only added to their motivation to assist the people of that country in rebuilding their lives.
"This walk is the spring social action project for the six Catholic parishes of West Hartford," Ms. Fritsche said.
In addition to St. Helena they are St. Brigid, St. Peter Claver, St. Timothy, St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Mark the Evangelist.
All six of them are actively promoting the walk; and at least two of them, St. Helena and St. Peter Claver, are involving their youth groups in the activity. People from other towns are supporting it as well.
Ms. Fritsche is a retired French teacher and new parish council member who sees this as just another step in her life’s journey and another opportunity to give thanks for her blessings. She was diagnosed with polio as a child and one day it just went away. A miracle, she believes.
The local walk will leave from St. Peter Claver Parish at 47 Pleasant St. Registration begins at 11 a.m. and the walk starts at noon.
Nancy Pelletier, a member of St. Timothy Parish who has been working with Ms. Fritsche, said that the organizers are unsure how many people will turn up for the inaugural event. They will pray for good weather.
For additional information, contact
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or see www.ctwalksforhaiti.org.
