Concert raises $2.5 mn for Haiti quake victims

Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), April 27 (IANS/EFE) A concert for helping out the victims of the devastating quake in Haiti has raised over $2.5 million, organisers said.

The concert “A Song of Hope for Haiti” held in the weekend was an “overwhelming success”, Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra said in a statement Monday.

Guerra was joined by Colombian star Juanes, Spanish singers Enrique Iglesias, Miguel Bose and Alejandro Sanz, Puerto Rico’s Luis Fonsi and Dominican artists Johnny Ventura, Milly Quezada and Maridalia Hernandez for the charity event.

Over 40,000 people attended the concert and the funds collected will be used to build a children’s hospital in Haiti, according to Guerra.

The event was supported by the local Sur Futuro foundation, which works for uplift of deprived communities, and the UN office in the Dominican Republic.

The magnitude-7 temblor on Jan 12 left more than 200,000 people dead, while more than one million people were left homeless.

–IANS/EFE