RALEIGH -- International aid organizations may depend on text messages and the Web to gather donations quickly, but the old-fashioned way of raising money still works, too.
On Saturday, two sets of pre-teen North Raleigh brothers, Thomas and Blake Prince and Gabe and Marco Braga, sold lemonade and cookies in their Traemoor Manor neighborhood, raising $1,606.29 for disaster relief in Haiti. On Monday, the boys turned in their money to the Triangle Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"I knew they needed some help," said Thomas Prince, 9, on why he devoted part of his weekend to Haiti.
Coaxing customers
Across the Triangle, people and companies are working grass-roots-style to pool their money and resources to help people in Haiti. Grocery stores have invited customers to tack a few extra dollars onto their bill. Musicians are gathering to play benefits. Today, the Empire Eats restaurant group in downtown Raleigh will donate the entire day's profits to the Red Cross.
Even if it's just a cookie or lemonade, receiving something in return for a donation can help coax people to give, said Barry Porter, regional director for the Red Cross. Someone who might not think to sit down at the computer and donate $12 could decide that same amount would be well spent on Feb. 4, when more than a half-dozen musical acts will take the stage at The Pour House in Raleigh for a benefit concert.
The Red Cross doesn't provide incentives for people to give, other than the feeling that comes with doing good, Porter said. But when others do, "it's nice that people can turn it into a celebration."
Everyone tried to help
The idea for the Empire Eats benefit "bubbled up from a bunch of different places," said founder Greg Hatem. "It was such a monumental disaster, everyone wanted to try to do something."
Empire Eats operates six restaurants in downtown Raleigh: The Pit, Sitti, The Duck & Dumpling, The Raleigh Times, The Morning Times and Gravy. The restaurant group hopes to raise a minimum of $5,000.
Chatham County Line, A Rooster for the Masses and The Hotwires are among the groups that will play The Pour House benefit show. Hank Smith, who plays banjo and sings in The Hotwires, said the concert was a way to give back.
"Part of the reason we play music in the first place is to help other people," Smith said. "So why not try to do it on a bigger scale?"
