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	Stung by Sex Abuse Charges, Haiti Charity Rebounds By Don Lajoie Windsor Star February 5, 2010 http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Stung+abuse+charges+Haiti+charity+rebounds/2524897/story.html CANADA -- After a year of crisis for Hearts Together for Haiti, the Windsor-based humanitarian group is poised to hold its largest single fundraising event ever. "We've almost sold out," said organizer Marcie Spratt, speaking of the charity's 10th annual dinner dance at the Fogolar Furlan Club Feb. 13. "Over 540 tickets sold and it's still a week away. To be selling out that early is something. Usually we're scratching to sell tickets just days before. There has been strong interest." The local aid organization, which runs schools, medical clinics and family sponsorship programs in Haiti, was just emerging from disarray caused by allegations of sexual abuse surrounding its founder, former Windsor priest Rev. John Duarte, when Haiti was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 200,000 people and levelled the capital of Port-au-Prince. Duarte was arrested last October on nine counts of sexually exploiting teenage boys in the village of Labadie, where he directed the charity's programs. Board member Keith Spratt said the organization, citing a "duty and an obligation" acted immediately to remove Duarte when the allegations surfaced in 2006 and informed police, beginning an international investigation resulting in the charges. Fallout from the scandal caused internal strife, with the group's main benefactor, Amherstburg businessman Al Quesnel, withdrawing support and a power struggle in Labadie forcing the group to suspend operations. Chairman Steve McDougall said support began dwindling and projects had to be scaled back because of financial uncertainty. But the charity persevered and had just begun to regroup and refocus its aid efforts in Haiti, establishing a new sponsorship and school program in the tiny village of Deppe in the north of Haiti, when the earthquake hit Jan. 12. The daily front-page coverage of the disaster and resulting outpouring of donations for national and international aid agencies only deepened the uncertainty for the local charity. Group leaders wondered if their cause would be lost in the flood of generosity. Meanwhile, said Spratt, Hearts Together For Haiti began making its own plans to provide direct aid to quake victims. At least two trips are in the planning stages. It was around this time, Spratt said, that support began to take off. People and supporters were phoning, sending emails and stopping them in public to ask if they could help. Ticket sales for the benefit, picked up steam. "I think ticket sales have a lot to do with the quake," she said. "It pushed that other stuff into the background and now Windsor people just want to help the quake victims." Spratt said there are a handful of tickets still available for the fundraiser. Extra tables have been added. Meanwhile, she said, the Fogolar Furlan wants to work with the organization as well, offering to donate $3 for every person who attends and staff at the club have offered to work for free, to help with earthquake relief. She said the result could be that, in a year where the charity's future had seemed so uncertain, the organization could raise more money for Haiti than ever before.
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