All members of the campus community are invited to come out for snow cones, ice cream and food starting at noon, Monday, April 25, at Lakeside Plaza.
After learning details of the damage by the earthquake that hit Ecuador on April 16, first-year student Lucía Jervis needed to help those in her home country. She was overwhelmed hearing that the disaster killed more than 600 people and left thousands of people without food, water, medical care and shelter.
“If I were there, I would be helping in medical brigades,” she said. “I would be getting food and water.”
Ecuador was still experiencing aftershocks as late as Thursday, and Jervis knew she had to find a way to help out, even though she was on the Elon campus, more than 2,600 miles away from her home.
“It’s awful seeing your country destroyed and being so far from home,” she said.
Jervis enlisted the help of Bernardo Missura ’16, Philip Rodriguez ’17, Caley Mikesell ’16, and staff members Diana Prieto and Sylvia Muñoz. Together they organized a fundraiser for Ecuador earthquake relief scheduled for noon, Monday, April 25, at Lakeside Plaza. Snow cones from Pelican’s SnoBalls will be available along with food donated by The Mission restaurant. The Latin American Student Organization, El Centro de Español and Catholic Campus Ministry donated money for ice cream to be sold at the event.
“I wanted to do something right now,” Jervis said. “Not in two weeks. Not in a month. Now.”
The money raised on Monday will be donated to the University of San Fransisco de Quito to help pay for the medical brigades that are being sent to Ecuador to help people with both the physical injuries as well as those dealing with the emotional trauma of a tragedy of this magnitude.
“I want to help my country be on their feet again,” Jervis said. “I’m going to do everything I can.”
Jervis also started an online “Elon for Ecuador” fund. She isn’t concerned about how much people donate, but she is hoping for a lot of participation.
“Every person that donates is helping to save a life,” she said. “Even if it is one dollar, you are letting them know that the world has their back.”
Jervis says she will continue to do what she can to help those in her home country. She has a special tie to those affected in El Canaveral, a small town less than 100 miles west of the capitol of Ecuador. She feels particularly passionate about helping smaller towns like that one. She didn’t live there, but spent most of her life interacting with the community and teaching English to children in t.
“I taught them how to speak English, but they taught me to be humble,” Jervis said. “This is my way to show them everything that they taught me. I’m going to do everything I can.”