Arlington, VA – April 9, 2010 – Today IRD hosted a wildly successful happy hour event on April 8, 2010 to benefit programs in Haiti. Held at the Continental Pool Hall near the Arlington offices, the happy hour drew hundreds of IRD friends, family, supporters, and employees.

Highlights of the evening included drawings for an array of prizes, everything from jewelry to Redskins tickets to hotel stays to a sailboat cruise on the Chesapeake. Another highlight was the silent auction for items ranging from half sides of grass-fed beef (donated by Dr. Keys) to a week’s stay at a private farmhouse in Normandy, France.The event was timed to remind people that there are still great needs in Haiti as the three-month anniversary of the earthquake and the start of the rainy season approach next week.

The goal was to raise $25,000 for IRD's Haiti Relief Fund, but we surpassed the goal by 75% and raised nearly $40,000. All the proceeds from the event will go directly to support the people of Haiti, to purchase basic humanitarian aid to implement IRD’s current shelter and sanitation programs, and to help cover airfreight and shipping costs to Port-au-Prince.

IRD would like to thank all the people and organizations who donated items for the raffle and silent auction and all the guests who participated in making the evening such a success. See the results of the raffle/silent auction here.

IRD had mobilized basic humanitarian aid to Haiti within 48 hours of the disaster, and was recently awarded USAID funding to provide long term assistance for shelter and sanitation in Leogane, the epicenter of the earthquake. But project funding does not cover all of IRD's expenses, such as the shipping and distribution of supplies. If you were unable to come to the benefit please consider donating to our Haiti Relief Fund.

You can also stay up-to-date on the latest Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts by visiting our Haiti page, following us on Twitter @ird_relief, or become a fan of us on Facebook under the name International Relief and Development. You can also read more about the team's experiences in IRD's blog, Voices from the Field, or see the photo gallery of the assessment and the team's time in Haiti.