Hip H’Opera for Haiti fund-raiser on Aug. 13 will now be virtual

by BRIAN NADIG

Raising funds for schoolbooks for Cazale, a town in Haiti where a large Polish community resides, is the focus of a virtual event at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13.

Called “Hip H’Opera for Haiti,” the free event includes a performance by K. F. Jacques, an opera-hip hop singer who is of Haitian descent. Initial plans had called for an in-person fund-raiser at the Red Apple Restaurant, 6474 N. Milwaukee Ave., but the dinner has postponed.

Event proceeds will go to the Haitian American Museum of Chicago, which is spearheading efforts to help help provide new educational materials for Cazale, according to Northwest Chicago Historical Society vice president Dan Pogorzelski, who is organizing the fundraiser along with Ivan Gonzalez.

Cazale has been without schoolbooks for its children since 2008 when a series of hurricanes devastated the village, Pogorzelski said.

Cazale’s Polish ancestry dates back to the early 1800s when Napoleon recruited Poles from Europe to help stop uprisings that were occurring in Haiti, promising the Polish soldiers that he would later help Poland gain its independence, Pogorzelski said.

“He brought the Poles there to quash the rebellion, (but) a lot of them did switch sides,” expressing a desire to help the Haitians gain their independence from the French, Pogorzelski said.

The fundraiser is co-sponsored by the restaurant, museum, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Arts Connection and Polish Arts Club of Chicago.

The virtual fund-raiser can be viewed at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81883759607

Donations can be made at https://app.mobilecause.com/form/dLG7YQ?vid=kcohc

For more on K.F. Jacques, who recently performed at Jeff Fest: http://nadignewspapers.com/2021/07/26/k-f-jacques-to-bring-hip-hop-opera-sound-to-the-jeff-fest-community-stage-featuring-variety-of-local-talent/