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Community Shows Support For Haiti

Editorial by: Tom Oosterhoudt

Key West has bent over backwards in recent weeks to show its support for our Caribbean neighboring island, Haiti, following its devastating earthquake which killed thousands of Haitians and injured many more. As we all know, Haiti was already the poorest country in our hemisphere, and the earthquake made their horrible plight even more so.

It was great to see such a huge turnout at the A&B Lobster House for its brunch fundraiser last Sunday to benefit 15 of its employees. Many local businesses now employ Haitians, like our grocery stores and restaurants. Most work very hard and are willing to work long hours, content to have a paying job, which is rare at home in Haiti.

I, too, have a Haitian connection. My parents started our shop, Pelican Poop, 23 years ago with my mom’s artwork, but also with artwork they found on their trips to Haiti. The first few years they actually scoured the countryside there to find the best art as well as artists. It wasn’t long before the Haitian artists heard that Pelican Poop paid good money for their art and they started coming to us more and more as the years went by. My parents met an art instructor, Moro Baruk, who ran a very successful art school in Jacmel, and imported lots of artwork that he was able to produce in volume with his staff and students.

Later, seasoned Haitian art dealers like Ralph Baron and Jean Roland would show up on a regular basis, especially when I ran the shop back in the ‘90s. They would often bring their wives, mothers, and children along and we got to know and befriend them and their families. I remember they loved to order pizza while they were in town. It was really a treat for them. Following the recent earthquake, we eventuallly heard from Moro and Jean, and while their homes were severely damaged, they managed to survive. Hopefully the market for Haitian art will continue so that we can help them out at this most difficult time for the island nation.

With all this is mind, like so many others here, I was touched beyond words to see on the news that our own Key West Coast Guard Cutter, the Mohawk, was the first vessel to reach Haiti after the earthquake and its crew performed heroically to save as many lives as it could. It had to be a daunting feeling as they soon realized the scope of the tragedy. Conch Color salutes Mohawk’s chief officer, Commander Robert Erickson and his entire crew. We want them all to know that they touched our hearts with their amazing efforts and how proud we are of them. It’s life saving missions like this that give America a good name. No one can question that. God bless America...and Haiti too. Let’s all keep them in our prayers.

Tom Oosterhoudt
Editor & Publisher

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