Oct 16, 2008 6:01 pm US/Eastern
CBS4, Others Recognized By City For Haitian Relief
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Fifty-thousand pounds of relief supplies arrived in Haiti as part of Miami's relief efforts in September, 2008.
After Hurricane Gustav ripped through Haiti in September, the City of Miami, led by Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, who partnered with many organizations to provide relief in
"Operation: Hope for Haiti", honored those volunteers at city hall on Thursday
.
In mid-September, Commissioner Spence-Jones and an international relief organization traveled to Haiti to deliver 50,000 pounds of food and water to hurricane victims throughout the impoverished country.
Commissioner Spence-Jones held a special ceremony honoring those who helped.
Volunteers honored included members of the Florida Marlins, Miami Dolphins and the City of Miami Fire Department.
City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said the people of Miami and South Florida really stepped up to the plate, giving the people of Haiti a bit of hope.
City of Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Ignatius Carroll explained to
CBS4 Reporter Liv Davalos that he and several others on his team devoted much of their time to trying to help their counterparts in Haiti, helping them implement a better emergency system.
"It was an honor to be recognized, but it was also very humbling because while we have seen disasters, we have never seen anything of this magnitude," he added.
CBS4 Reporter Sharrie Williams and photojournalist Jim Bernard were also honored for their reports which captured the images of the devastation.
The images and the stories watched by viewers in South Florida who were moved to make even more donations. The experience is something both say they will never forget.
"It was an awesome experience to even be able to go and see the people in need first hand and to see the donations being delivered to them," commented Williams.
For Bernard, he said he will remember seeing the smiles of those receiving the donations.
"I appreciate being recognized, but it really goes out to South Florida for sending the donations."
The devastation to Haiti began on August 15th with Tropical Storm Fay, which was followed by hurricanes Gustav, Hanna, and Ike, severe weather brought major flooding, and wreaked havoc on Haiti's roads, bridges, communities, and agriculture.
More than 300 deaths have been attributed to the storms, according to U.N. sources, and more than 800,000 people were in need of assistance, including 300,000 children.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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