www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, February 4, 2010 · 2 HAIR DESIGN CO. Cut-a-thon for Haiti Join us on this special day for a cut or just a donation Fam Welc ilies ome d PHOTO COURTESY OF THE YATES FAMILY IN NEED OF HELP: Three new orphans at Grace Children's Hospital, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Fundraiser for children's hospital Continued from page 1 Special Thanks to Tim Hortons (Neyagawa Dundas) for providing coffee 2460 Neyagawa Blvd. (at Dundas) 905.257.1300 Visit us at www.hairdesignco.com Trailhead Grade 10 BCP Grade 11-12 Bronte Creek Project 5 4 20 1 months classrooms ers without bord "The devastation in Haiti has inspired a group of Oakville residents to hold a special event that will raise funds to rebuild a children's hospital and honour the contributions of Oakville doctor, John Yates," said organizer Oakville resident Krista Downey Smith. The Yates family members are not strangers to Haiti. Yates has worked at Grace Children's Hospital in Port-au-Prince off and on since the late 1970s. "All of our family has travelled to be in this moment with Haitian friends and colleagues," said Sandy, who returned home last week. Her husband returned Tuesday afternoon, the last of the Yates clan to arrive back safely. "Melanie is married and living in Montreal with her husband, Jean Philippe Brierre, 28, who is Haitian. They met while we lived in Haiti," said Sandy. "Our two boys, Ryan and Jason, were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, visiting close friends who are very much like family to us," said Sandy. All are well and home. Yates returned via the Dominican Republic. "All commercial flights in and out of Haiti have been suspended, so I have to cross the border and return home through the neighboring Dominican Republic," he said. "Words cannot adequately describe the magnitude of devastation and destruction that I saw driving the streets of Port-au-Prince.... We will never truly know how many lost their lives, in part because there are no accurate census data to know how many lived in the affected areas pre-quake. Building after building in varying degrees of damage and destruction...many completely flattened, others leaning precariously to the left or the right, backwards and forwards...walls scarred and cracked to the point where they are nothing more than partially standing death traps. Heaps of fractured and crumbled cement, twisted rod iron, contents of homes, businesses and offices still sticking out from the rubble," said Yates. See Yates page 3 credits new friends awesome experience Halton's Environmental Leadership Program Gary Allan High School DROP IN! Find Out More! 401 Derry Rd. BCP/Trailhead Open House Trailhead & BCP OPEN HOUSE Wed. Feb. 10th, 2010 6:30 Sidrabene Site 5100 Appleby Line Appleby Ln. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE YATES FAMILY 905-331-3500 HELPING OUT: The Yates family was in Haiti to help with disaster relief. Pictured here are the Yates children with two long-time friends: (l-r) Jason, 23, Liana 21, Sylvie 22, Melanie 26, Ryan, 25, Vicky, 26. Sylvie and Vicky are friends from the children's school days in Haiti and are part of their extended family. Sylvie was with Jason and Ryan in Haiti when the earthquake hit. Hwy 5 (Dundas) www.brontecreekproject.org experience education QEW