Growing Excitement

The 2021 Kentucky Haiti Benefit Auction was part of a much larger 7 state effort of the Haiti Benefit Auction of Pennsylvania.  The HBA of PA has been hosting auctions for many years as part of an effort to provide the Haitian people relief from poverty and extreme living conditions.  Conditions in Haiti are harsh, according to the auction website Haiti only has 7 doctors per 100,000 people.  The population density is 900 people per square mile compared to 70 people per square mile in the United States.  With hand pump water wells serving up to 500 people, it is a challenge for the Haitian people to have safe reliable water.

On May 14^th and 15^th of 2021 the Christian County Cooperative Extension Service was privileged to host the 11^th annual KY Haiti Benefit Auction.  This being the first year that the event would be held at the Extension service, host were skeptical of the venue change.   The first night of the auction saw nearly 1,000 people come to participate in a free fish fry, entertainment, and auction.  Day two of the auction saw another 1,000-1,250 people.  The auction had all types of home goods and service from quilts and furniture to portable buildings and agricultural commodities.  At the conclusion of the auction over $300,000.00 was raised to support the Haitian people.

A large part of the vision of the Haiti Benefit Auction is to, “See Haitians use even limited resources in sustainable agriculture and other self-help programs; providing water wells and clinics.”  The HBA of KY had seen the auction grow 10-15 thousand dollars for the past ten years.  With the new venue and support from the local community the auction grew over $100,000.00 in 2021.  Just as the funds have grown, the excitement continues to grow for the HBA of KY.