Adventists Participate in Fundraiser for Syrian Refugees

Doug Hardt, an Adventist pastor in Grand Rapids, MN, partnered with other local faith communities to raise money for Syrian refugees. Hardt shared on Facebook:

Just got back from Dairy Queen where we celebrated having a great fundraising concert for the Syrian refugees. We had the Deer River, Grand Rapids and Greenway high school choirs along with the St. Andrews Lutheran Men's Chorus and Grand Rapids Men's Chorus - along with Nicole and the Eleonora Kobzev quartet. I wanted to raise over $1000 with the concert. But we had somebody today say that they would match every gift up to $1500 - then someone who listened to the concert and liked it so much they said they would also match every gift up to $1500. We collected $1544 - which means that we raised $4544 for UNICEF and its work with the children involved in the refugee crisis. Very proud to be a resident of the Grand Rapids area.

This is not the first time Hardt has been involved with issues relating to the Middle East. We reported earlier on his efforts at Union College -- Union College Hosts Interfaith Iraq Memorial -- and he also played a part in this concert. Hardt has also been featured on 3ABN, where he shared about needs in the region (link).

College View Academy Hosts Fundraiser for ISIS Victims

College View Academy students put on a fundraiser for ISIS victims, Megan Conway reports for KLKN TV (ABC 8) in Lincoln, Nebraska (link). Recently, Union College also hosted an event focusing on Iraqis affected by the conflict.

KLKN article excerpts:

At the Union College campus tonight, hundreds came out for a benefit concert. The purpose of the concert was giving back to families in the middle of a war zone, thousands of miles away. College View Academy students hosted the benefit concert all in an effort to help the victims of ISIS.

Special guests Mayor Chris Beutler and his wife came to the event. Baked goods were sold and students sang and played instruments.

The volunteers raised just over six and a half thousand dollars. Their hope is to influence other schools and organizations to do the same, stressing that every little bit helps. [complete article]

Update: APF has been told the funds are going to Adventist Frontier Mission's (AFM) refugee ministry in northern Iraq (link). Also, all funds designated for Yazda are being sent to that nonprofit. Finances are going to AFM because neither ADRA nor the Middle East Union is active in the area, we are told. As of Wednesday night (15 Oct), the total raised has increased to $9,500.

The Good Neighbor Community Center posted two short videos of local media coverage:

• KLKN ABC 8 (article transcription)
• 10 11 Now