February 3, 1999
The money was collected through the Latin American Solidarity student organization and the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, both at KU.
Last week, Latin American Solidarity established a new fund, "KU Earthquake Relief" to help victims of the earthquake in Armenia, Colombia, said Megan Hope, president of Latin American Solidarity.
"Checks should be made out to 'KU Earthquake Relief' and delivered to the Center of Latin American Studies, 107 Lippincott Hall," Hope said.
KU has 12 students enrolled from Colombia, including Nayibe Bermudez, a doctoral student in Spanish literature. Bermudez has been in contact with her family who live on the coast, not in the earthquake area.
Latin American Solidarity meets at 8 p.m. every other Tuesday, including Tuesday, Feb. 2, in Alcove F of the Kansas Union. On Feb. 16, they will meet at 6 p.m. for a rice and beans dinner at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building to discuss problems of paramilitary violence and the drug war in Colombia.
Hope and Silvia Gonzalez, KU graduate student from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, organized the relief effort for Honduras and Nicaragua. The money was distributed in late November and in December.
Gonzales returned to Lawrence last week from a trip to her home city, where she delivered about $950 of funds collected in Lawrence. Other money collected in Lawrence was distributed to Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvandorans through other agencies.