HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State College of Medicine's Multicultural Awareness Club (MAC) raised nearly $5,000 for Puerto Rico hurricane relief at its 2018 fundraising gala on Jan 20. More than 300 people attended the event, including College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg students, faculty and staff, as well as community members.
“Although the hurricanes passed a few months ago, there are still communities in Puerto Rico that don't have electricity or water,” said Vickie Nguyen, MAC co-president. “We didn't want people to lose a sense of urgency or forget about these individuals that still need aid.”
“We also have a number of people in the medical school community who are of Puerto Rican descent and had been trying to find ways to raise money for Puerto Rico,” added Rahool Patel, MAC co-president. “We felt a collaboration between them and MAC would be a great opportunity for us to do some good.”
Every year, MAC holds a gala where the proceeds benefit an international relief organization. MAC members chose United for Puerto Rico this year because it served an immediate need. United for Puerto Rico donations go to smaller organizations that provide assistance through social welfare, economic development, health, food and water, and housing.
The Multicultural Awareness Club aims to be a unifying force that seeks to increase awareness and mutual respect for the other members of the community in which we live. This is accomplished by educating each other, fostering fun-filled celebrations of diversity and emphasizing the importance of giving ourselves to those who are in need.