Using music to raise money for Haiti

Raising money and sending it to organizations already in poor countries is the best way to help. One girl in Connecticut is doing just that. She has been collecting pop bottles to return for cash to give to Haiti. Now, 15 year old Julie Morrison will host a concert to raise more money.

From the Hartford Courant, writer Peter Marteka profiles the teen who is trying to help heal Haiti in her own way.

According to Julie Morrison, if every American — that's over 309 million — donated one 5-cent returnable container, that would generate more than $15 million to support worthy causes.

"It is something so simple, but it can mean something so big," said the 15-year-old Glastonbury High School sophomore, who has been collecting cans and bottles from residents along Sunrise Drive since February. Julie's "Hope For Haiti" Can Drive has brought in more than 4,000 cans so far to help the earthquake-ravaged country.

But the teen isn't stopping at the can drive. Using her musical talents — she sings and plays the violin and piano — Julie will put on a benefit concert May 22 at the BackBeat City Performing Arts Center in town to raise additional money for the island nation.

"I don't want people to forget about them," she said, especially now, as the poverty-stricken country enters its rainy season. "We watched parents wandering around looking for their children and children looking for their parents. It was hard not to be touched by that and inspired to do something to help."

Julie comes from a musical family and has been playing the violin since she was in first grade.

She credits BackBeat's Greg Colossale for inspiring not only her, but other musicians to "make the world a better place through music," she said.