Two years after the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, celebrities with major Twitter and Facebook followings are joining in the "HAITI: Aid Still Required" online campaign.
The campaign announced its partnership Thursday with Internet giving platform Snoball.com, in an effort to reawaken global concern for the ongoing crisis in Haiti and raise money through online donations.
"The usual pattern is for the public to contribute generously in the moment of a disaster and then forget about it," says Hunter Payne, president of Aid Still Required. "But disasters don’t heal themselves – they take time, energy and resources over a protracted arc. We hope this campaign will go a long way to engendering this kind of thinking not only about this tragedy but all others as well."
Among the 40 celebrities joining in the campaign -- who have a combined social following of more than 125 million people -- are Maroon 5, Sting, Alicia Keys, Martha Stewart and Lady Antebellum.
The money raised will help fund reforestation projects, infrastructure, schools, orphanages and trauma relief programs for PTSD and rape victims.
If you're interested in joining the campaign, you can log onto Snoball, give money or invite people in your social networks to join the cause.
How do you think the power of social media can best be leveraged to heighten awareness for the ongoing crises in Haiti? Let us know in the comments.
