A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD YV Introduction

As this issue of News in Review is being But nothing can compare with the Focus prepared, there is still one month re- horror in , where 3 000 people On the 50th anni- maining in the 2004 hurricane season. were killed in the city of Gonaïves by versary of the most destructive hurri- Fortunately, it seems that the worst is flooding and a mudslide caused by cane to ever hit over, because it has been a mean season Hurricane Jeanne. Another 250 000 Canada, this News indeed. were left homeless—and this in a in Review module For residents of the state of , country with few resources and no looks at the 2004 the season has been especially bitter. functional central government. The hurricane season, Floridians have had few major storms international community, through the one of the most dramatic on record. in recent years. , United Nations and international private Four major storms which blasted the state in 1992, doing aid groups, have been left trying to cope tore a path of US$25-billion in damages, was the with the chaos. destruction through exception to this rule. Florida’s Despite our relative freedom from the and charmed existence ended this year when tropical storms, this hurricane season the U.S. South. We review the damage “paradise” was hit by four major hurri- has also resonated for Canadians. It was they caused, some canes—four storms with winds over only one year ago that what was pre- views on why they 178 km/hr—within a six-week period. dicted to be a relatively benign Cat- were so powerful, Four million people faced evacuation, egory One hurricane named Juan and how scientists and thousands—especially those who caused extensive damage in parts of are working to better understand live in Florida’s many trailer parks— Nova Scotia, including environmental and predict the were left homeless. The total cost of the scarring that will last for years. And it behaviour of these damage to the state is expected to was exactly 50 years ago that the most great storms. exceed $50-billion, with no more than disastrous hurricane to ever hit Canada, half of that covered by insurance. , killed 81 people in the Further Research Floridians, at least, have the resources Toronto area. Like Jeanne, it was the For more informa- of the world’s richest nation to assist flooding, not the wind, that did the tion on Hurricane them in their recovery. Other nations in damage. Hazel, see the the paths of these storms are not as Hazel’s legacy for Toronto was a November 2003 fortunate. Jamaica, Grenada, the Cay- magnificent chain of parks in all the issue of News in man Islands, and Cuba took tremendous city’s ravines. Jeanne’s legacy for Review. There is also excellent hits during the season. Grenada lost Gonaïves is likely to be years of further audio-visual mate- about 90 per cent of its housing, leaving poverty, hunger, and despair. rial in the CBC much of its population desperate. Archives at http:// archives.cbc.ca/IDD- 1-70-77/ For Discussion disasters_tragedies/ This hurricane season featured round-the-clock coverage from Florida by news huricane_hazel. networks like CNN, who kept reporters and camera operators even in areas where evacuation orders had been given. How necessary is this type of news coverage? Does it in any way trivialize the dangers of these storms? Might the YV Sections presence of the media encourage some to remain in a danger zone who might marked with this otherwise have followed the order to evacuate? Would you wish to be a re- symbol indicate porter in these situations? Explain. content suitable for younger viewers.

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 32 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD YV Video Review

1. In what month do hurricanes start forming each year? ______As you watch the video portion of 2. What was the name of the last major hurricane to hit Florida before 2004? this News in Review segment, answer ______the questions in the spaces provided. 3. In how many weeks did four hurricanes make landfall in Florida during 2004? ______Quote 4. What was the wind speed of ? ______According to Peter Bowyer, progam manager for the 5. How many people were evacuated from the path of ? Canadian Hurricane in Nova ______Scotia, “The chances of another 6. Which hurricane is described as the most powerful of this season? Hazel hitting ______Toronto are 100 per cent. The 7. Which nation was most punished by “Ivan the Terrible”? ______question is, when? That simply isn’t 8. What did Hurricane Jeanne trigger that caused most of the death and possible to pre- dict.” — National destruction in Haiti? ______Post, October 9, 2004 9. How many people were left homeless in Gonaïves? ______

10. What is generally considered to have been the worst decade for intense Did you know . . . The last time any hurricanes? ______U.S. state faced four hurricanes in 11. What was most remarkable in the hurricane news of August 2004? one year, it was in 1886 and the state was Texas?

12. Where do hurricanes incubate?

13. What is the name of the worst hurricane in Canadian history, which devas- tated Toronto in 1954? ______

14. How many people did it kill? ______

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 33 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD YV Profiles of Terror

Four major hurricanes, four different • at least 16 people were killed in Further Research stories of devastation. Florida You can read about Each of these hurricanes had a tre- all of this year’s • serious damage done to citrus crops Atlantic tropical mendous effect on the lives of millions and nursery plants, Florida’s second storms and hurri- of people, but the level of suffering they largest industry after tourism canes at inflicted differed from one storm to the www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ next. oa/climate/research/ “It was very scary. Once you go As you read through this section through this, you don’t want to go 2004/ describing the rampages of Charley, hurricanes04.html. through it again. We were huddled Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, use the chart together, we didn’t know each other, at the end to organize a profile of the but we were huddled together for dear life and work of each of the storms. life.” — Robert Van Kempen, who These notes are accompanied by survived the storm in Arcadia, Florida, some “sound bites” from people who with several others in the Heritage survived the hurricanes. Baptist Church (The New York Times, August 15, 2004) Charley • became a hurricane (Category Two) Frances on August 11, 2004 • became a hurricane on August 26, • grazed Jamaica, passed over Cuba and reaching Category Four strength on the Dry Tortugas August 28 • in Cuba, caused an estimated • grazed the , $1-billion in damage, and at least four passed over deaths • struck on September 5 • hit Florida just north of Fort Myers on as a Category Two storm with 170 August 13 as a Category Four hurri- km/hr winds cane with 235 km/hr winds • though weaker, it was a much larger • dissipated near Cape Cod on August and slower-moving storm that depos- 15 ited enormous amounts of rain • 1.9 million people were forced to • dissipated over on evacuate September 9 • damage to property and business • one Bahamian killed; islands lost 60 losses are estimated to exceed per cent of their electricity; damage $20-billion estimated at over $100-million • 377 000 buildings damaged • 9 people killed in Florida • 45 000 people were forced into public • 4.5 million left without electricity shelters • Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle • more than one million people were Assembly Building virtually destroyed left without power for up to three • damage to property and business weeks losses in Florida estimated at $20-billion

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 34 “Most of Florida has been consumed by • an estimated $5- to $10-billion in Did you know . . . complacency and has just not worried damages in Florida alone Grenada is known about hurricanes. Maybe they won’t as The Isle of Spice? • dissipated over eastern Texas on The major crop is ignore them now.” — Herbert Saffir, September 24 nutmeg, and Ivan co-creator of the Saffir-Simpson Scale uprooted 93 per describing hurricane intensity (The New “We already suffer so much. I wonder cent of the nutmeg York Times, September 7, 2004) trees. Tragically, it why God makes us suffer more?” — takes 15 years for a Maria Montenegro, whose village of Ivan newly planted tree Boca de Galafre, Cuba, almost disap- to actually bear • became a hurricane (Category Four) peared during (The New fruit. on September 5 York Times, September 15, 2004) • destroyed much of the property in Grenada on September 7, with devas- Jeanne tation estimated at 85 per cent in the • Jeanne was barely a hurricane when it capital, St. George’s. Grenada’s most hit Haiti and the significant export source, its nutmeg on September 16 trees, were almost totally destroyed. • heavy rainfall and flooding caused • at least 39 people killed in Grenada, significant problems in northern Haiti, one in Barbados and another in To- especially in the city of Gonaïves bago • 250 000 people were left homeless • achieved Category Five status with • over 3 000 people dead or missing in winds up to 260 km/hr on September Haiti; 24 dead in the Dominican 9 Republic • tracked just offshore by Jamaica on • Gonaïves’ major hospital was de- September 11, killing at least 15 stroyed by the storm Jamaicans, destroying the roofs on hundreds of homes and totally de- • Jeanne moved over the Bahamas, then stroying homes and farms in some hit Florida as a Category Three storm areas on September 25, almost exactly where Frances had earlier come • 15 000 tourists were stranded in north ashore coast hotels in Jamaica • five people were killed in Florida • struck the Cayman Islands on Septem- ber 12 with 255 km/hr winds • further damage was done to major agricultural areas • passed just off Cuba’s western tip on September 13 • losses were estimated at an additional $6- to $14-billion in Florida and • one million Cubans (in a population of Alabama 11 million) were evacuated • rainfall associated with the storm • thousands of Cubans lost their homes, caused flooding as far north as New much flooding Jersey until moving out over the ocean • came ashore on the Gulf Coast, doing on September 29 some of its worst damage to Pensacola, Florida, and the surround- “It felt like God had emptied his bath- ing area tub on the entire city.” — Chrismene • at least 40 killed in Florida and Prever, Gonaïves resident (Toronto neighbouring states Star, September 23, 2004)

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 35 Four Strong Winds

Criteria Charley Frances Ivan Jeanne Category and Wind Speed

Countries/States Most Affected

Description of Damage Caused

Number of Lives Lost

Estimated Monetary Losses

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 36 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD Why Such a Mean Season?

The 2004 hurricane season may have storms that struck in one location— Definition been spectacular, but it was not totally Florida. There have been 35 major The Saffir-Simpson unexpected. hurricanes between 1995 and 2003, but Hurricane Scale is a tool used to meas- The hurricane season in the Atlantic only four of these hit the U.S. Between ure the force and Ocean runs for six months, from June 1 1966 and 2003, only one major hurri- damage capacity of through November 30. In 2004, pre- cane devastated (Andrew hurricanes. The season forecasters generally predicted in 1992). In the previous highly active categories are: an above-average season, with the U.S. period, 1926-1965, 14 major damaging Category One: National Oceanic and Atmospheric hurricanes hit the area. Winds 119-153 km/hr Category Two: Administration’s (NOAA) forecast a Two of the major factors that meteo- Winds 154-177 km/hr typical one. In May, it called for 12 to rologists examine in determining the Category Three: 15 tropical storms, with six to eight likelihood of Atlantic storms are surface Winds 178-209 km/hr hurricanes, two to four of which would temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Category Four: be major hurricanes (Category Three or low-level trade winds in the Atlantic Winds 210-249 km/hr Category Five: higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale). A and Caribbean. In 2004, both of these Winds 250+ km/hr “normal” season sees nine or 10 storms, were considerably above average, and A full explanation five or six of which develop into hurri- are believed to have contributed to the of the scale is canes, and two or three of which be- intensity of the storms. available at come major hurricanes. www.nhc.noaa.gov/ aboutsshs.shtml. Since 1995, the number of storms The Role of Global Warming forming in the Atlantic has exceeded Is global warming playing a role in the the seasonal average, and forecasters increase in number and intensity of anticipated that this trend would con- tropical storms, in the Atlantic or tinue. It did, indeed. There were 13 elsewhere? Experts mostly say it is named tropical storms, and one sub- not—or, at least, not yet. Experts say tropical. Eight of these developed into that 2004’s increased activity can all be hurricanes; of the eight, six developed explained by a natural hurricane cycle. into major hurricanes, making this one In 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel of the most devastating seasons on on Climate Change presented a report record. indicating its expectation that global Records show that weather systems in temperatures would increase by 1.4 to the Atlantic tend to follow a cycle of 20 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. One area or more years of relatively calm storm the panel specifically examined was the seasons followed by 20 or so of more effect that such an increase in tempera- frequent and severe tropical storms and ture might have on major storms. hurricanes. With the current cycle The panel anticipated that major having begun in 1995, meteorologists storms—hurricanes, , and believe that the frequency and intensity typhoons—might produce higher winds of storms will continue above average and heavier rains in some areas, but for at least the next 10 years before a reported that current science offered no decline begins. indication whether the frequency or One reason why this season seemed location of such storms might change. so unusually intense is the number of The report did note that no global

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 37 changes had been noted in the 20th the end of the are expected Did You Know . . . century in either the number of storms to be stronger and have significantly The terms hurri- cane and typhoon or their strength. more intense rainfall than under are area-specific On the other hand, a study by the present-day climate conditions.” names for storms NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics As part of its own report, the GFDL generically called Laboratory (GFDL) is clear in its surveys a group of several other studies tropical cyclones? conclusions: “The strongest hurricanes on the problem and concludes: “An Hurricanes take place in the North in the present climate may be upstaged implication of these studies is that if the Atlantic Ocean and by even more intense hurricanes over frequency of tropical cyclones remains the eastern Pacific the next century as the earth’s climate is the same over the coming century, a Ocean; the storms warmed by increasing levels of green- greenhouse-gas induced warming may are called typhoons house gases in the atmosphere. Al- lead to a gradually increasing risk in the in the Northwest though we cannot say at present occurrence of highly destructive Cat- Pacific. whether more or fewer hurricane will egory Five storms.” The report is occur in the future with global warm- available at www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~tk/ ing, the hurricanes that do occur near glob_warm_hurr.html.

Discussion Working in small “buzz groups” discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share your answers with a report to your full class. 1. If the GFDL and other scientists are correct in believing that more hurri- canes at the end of the 21st century will be Category Five storms, what will be some of the outcomes of this shift in weather patterns?

2. Who will be the people likely to be most affected by this shift to more destructive storms?

3. What steps might governments take to prepare for this change?

4. What is your personal reaction to this kind of information?

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 38 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD Predicting and Controlling Hurricanes

One thing became very clear during the surface temperature of the ocean, but Further Research 2004 hurricane season: the science of are unable to measure the temperatures Visit the National predicting how hurricanes will develop of the deeper layers. Hurricanes often Hurricane Center, one of the best and what paths they will follow is still pull these deeper layers to the surface; sources of hurricane in its infancy. Throughout the season, if the water is cold, it will tend to stifle information, at meteorologists were regularly surprised the growth of the hurricane by reducing www.nhc.noaa.gov. by the behaviour of many of the storms the energy obtained from warm-water In Canada, Environ- they were observing. evaporation. Data-transmitting buoys ment Canada runs Charley, the first hurricane to strike have been used in the past to study the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Florida, was typical of the problems storms, but none were placed in the Dartmouth, Nova meteorologists had to deal with. An 11 path of Charley. Scotia. Visit at a.m. forecast on August 13, 2004, Charley’s path was also very hard to www.ns.ec.gc.ca/ predicted that Charley would hit Florida predict. Two million people were weather/hurricanes. as a Category Two storm with winds of evacuated from the west coast of approximately 163 km/hr. A mere five Florida, but the storm tracked across the hours later, Charley made landfall as a middle of the state farther south than Category Four storm with 235 km/hr had been predicted. As a result, many of winds—just 15 km/hr short of the most the residents of the counties worst destructive storm, a Category Five. affected were inadequately prepared John L. Beven, a specialist at the and suffered more damage than they National Hurricane Center in , expected. could only speculate on the reasons for In an editorial on August 16, 2004, this unexpected intensification. Some of The New York Times accurately the reasons it might have happened summed up the state of current hurri- included “some extra pulse of energy cane predictions. “A long, active hurri- from warm gulf waters, some shift in cane season lies ahead of us. The tropi- winds that might otherwise hinder the cal storms are lining up one after an- storm, or some chaotic change in the other, and experts predict that there’s a walls of clouds around its eye” (The very good chance this season may see New York Times, August 14, 2004). some six to eight hurricanes, two to Meteorologists admit that mistakes in four of which could be major. Charley judging intensity are common for a should remind us that nature is as hard variety of reasons. These problems to predict as it is to control.” include difficulties in measuring water temperature, small changes in atmo- Controlling Hurricanes? spheric conditions in the path of storms, With so much left to learn about the and the complex physics of the many science of hurricanes, it may seem very thunderstorms at the heart of the hurri- premature to be discussing the possibil- cane. ity that there might be ways of control- The difficulties in measuring water ling them. However, scientists like Ross temperature serve as one example of N. Hoffman of Atmospheric and Envi- what meteorologists are up against. At ronmental Research, a consulting firm present, satellites constantly monitor the for research and development, are

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 39 already exploring ways in which this opment of hurricanes using cloud Did you know . . . might happen. Writing in the October seeding techniques. Few scientists Some observers 2004 Scientific American, Hoffman would now expect such an approach to have even seriously suggested using describes how he and his colleagues, work. What does seem likely to work, atomic bombs to with funding from the NASA Institute according to Hoffman’s research, is destroy hurricanes for Advanced Concepts, are using using small changes in temperature in before they hit computer models to determine how and around hurricanes to do two things: land? human intervention might be able to shift the path of the hurricane to a affect both the strength and paths of predictable course, and slow the major hurricanes. hurricane’s winds. Hoffman identifies three areas on Hoffman acknowledges that the which researchers need to focus: “To energy required to heat the atmosphere even consider controlling hurricanes, to do either of these things would be researchers will need to be able to huge, but he also believes that orbiting predict a storm’s course extremely solar-powered satellites could supply accurately, to identify the physical this energy. The satellites would be changes (such as alterations in air tuned to frequencies that would be best temperature) that would influence its absorbed by water vapour at different behavior, and to find ways to effect levels in the atmosphere. those changes.” Hoffman goes on to say There are other methods that that “the very thing that makes forecast- Hoffman thinks might be useful in ing any weather difficult—the hurricane modification, and these are atmosphere’s extreme sensitivity to also discussed in his article. He predicts small stimuli—may well be the key to that what he describes as “modest achieving the control we seek.” trials” in weather modification—efforts In the early 1960s, experiments were to enhance rainfall—using his tech- actually performed by the U.S. in which niques, could begin within 10 to 20 attempts were made to slow the devel- years.

Analysis 1. Why do scientists find it so difficult to accurately measure and predict hurricanes?

2. What methods have been suggested for hurricane control? Extension Issue One danger of humankind’s ability to modify the weather that Hoffman identi- fies would be its use as a weapon. A United Nations Convention in the 1970s banned the use of weather modification as a weapon. How likely do you think it is that countries would be able to resist using this weapon should it become available? How might a so-called “weather weapon” actually be used?

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 40 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD YV Pity the Poor

A hurricane, like any other natural friends and relatives, or move into One of the hardest- disaster, wreaks its worst havoc upon motels, shelters, or even their automo- hit communities during this terrible those who are least prepared for it. biles. hurricane season Those who always suffer the most are Worst off are those on welfare or was Maple Leaf the poor; and it doesn’t matter whether fixed incomes. Those who lived in Estates, a trailer- they are residents of a developing damaged housing projects have been park community country like Haiti or of a rich state like told that it could be up to two years home to thousands of wintering Cana- Florida. In both cases it is the disadvan- before the buildings are repaired—and dians. Charley taged who suffer most. there are no guarantees that alternate destroyed half the housing will be found for them until homes on August Florida then. 13, 2004. The “Sunshine State” is home to some For the elderly who fall into this very affluent people, but it is also home category, the situation is even worse. to many less-than-wealthy retirees who These are people who rely on the Did you know . . . have come south to escape the cold community, who follow structured Most trailer parks weather that exists for much of the year routines, and often find it difficult to are considered ‘private”? The in many parts of North America. adapt to change. Most came to Florida roads and services Florida has the highest percentage of because it promised an inexpensive and inside are left to residents 65 and older in the United relatively carefree retirement. Few the managers and States—34.7 per cent in the last census. could afford to carry the kind of insur- owners of the park Many of them are on fixed incomes, ance that would replace what they have homes to clean up. They must also and many are in poor health. It is also lost in a catastrophic storm. Many have restore their own home to many refugees. now lost everything they had and face power. Thus, it Many poorer people live in communi- an uncertain future. usually takes much ties of mobile homes—the very com- But it could be worse. As Ruth Birge, longer to restore munities that were hardest hit during whose trailer home in Harborview Park these communities. the hurricane season. Charley, which was badly damaged by Charley, said: came ashore on the west coast of “Nobody here got hurt. I am thankful Florida, was especially hard on these for that. Things can be repaired, but communities. The west coast usually lives cannot be fixed” (The New York does not bear the brunt of major hurri- Times, August 15, 2004). canes, and building codes are more relaxed than they are in areas subject to Haiti more frequent storms. In Haiti it was much worse. Haiti is one A preliminary Red Cross assessment of the poorest countries in the world. determined that Hurricane Charley Many of its people live on less than one alone destroyed or made uninhabitable dollar per day. The country has been in a total of 31 000 residences. Some of political turmoil for months. A violent these belonged to snowbirds (residents revolt drove its president, Jean-Bertrand of the northern U.S. or Canada who Aristide, into exile in March 2004. make their winter home in Florida), but Once a lush country, Haiti has lost most were year-round homes. As a almost all of its trees. Many of them result, thousands had to move in with were cut down to make charcoal for

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 41 cooking, the only fuel readily available sources of medical aid included a for an impoverished population. makeshift clinic put together by Chilean On September 16, Hurricane Jeanne soldiers and three others staffed by passed over the northern part of the foreign doctors. The main worry for country. The rain accompanying the most medical personnel was the threat storm released huge quantities of mud of water-borne illness, especially chol- in the bare hills over the city of era and typhoid. Gonaïves. The mud literally buried the Unlike Florida, Haiti has little hope city. The death toll has been determined of rapid recovery from its disaster. at over 3 000, and more than 250 000 Professor Henry Carey of State people have been left homeless. Thou- University, an expert on Haiti, summed sands of acres of crops in the most up the situation: “Haiti’s situation right fertile part of the country were also now is a catastrophe. The state col- destroyed. lapsed in February and it remains The United Nations, with a small unreconstituted. Without a functioning force of UN soldiers, directed the relief state, you can’t build stronger houses, effort. They received little help from the repair infrastructure, build control Haitian government or the local police, dams. Routine hurricanes and storms who fled the city without warning. lead to catastrophic loss of life” (The Supply trucks were attacked and looted. New York Times, September 26, 2004). Tear gas was needed to control rioting For some ideas on how you might crowds desperately seeking assistance. help the Haitian recovery, see the next The city’s main hospital was de- section, “How Can We Help?” stroyed in the storm, and the chief

To Consider Many people, including Florida governor Jeb Bush, (brother of President George W. Bush) have said that this year’s multiple hurricanes should at least serve to make blasé Floridians more aware of the dangers of catastrophic storms everywhere in the state. Given conditions in Haiti, is Hurricane Jeanne likely to make any difference in the way Haitians live their lives? Do foreign governments and international agencies have any responsibility to intervene for such change?

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 42 A MEAN SEASON: FOUR HURRICANES HIT HARD How Can We Help?

The pictures of the devastation caused by Hurricane Jeanne in Haiti are stun- Further Research ning. Without them, it would be almost impossible to believe how desperate Appeals for aid to the lives of its victims have become. With them, it is almost impossible to resist Haiti have been the urge to somehow get help to those in need. made by several charitable organi- One organization hard at work in the Haitian relief effort is UNICEF (United zations. To read the Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). A focus of its efforts is a UNICEF appeal, go campaign to get the children of the ravaged city of Gonaïves back to school, to www.unicef.org/ and they are making a major effort to raise money for this purpose. This is one emerg/haiti/ area in which Canadian students can be of real assistance. index_23793.html. Information on One Person’s Contribution CARE’s effort in Consider the efforts of Bilaal Rajan, a Grade 4 student at The Giles School in Haiti is at http:// Don Mills, Ontario. He read an appeal from UNICEF in a local paper and decided care.ca/work/ he would play his part. Rejecting his father’s suggestion that he donate his emergency/haiti/ allowance as too small a contribution, Bilaal convinced him to donate boxes of haiti_e.shtm. The cookies from his company so that he and a team of 12 friends could sell them as Canadian Red Cross has its information a fund-raiser at lunch, after school, and on weekends. He and his team have at www.redcross.ca/ raised over $6 000 for UNICEF. article.asp?id=010612 &tid=001. Says Bilaal: “I think that children in other parts of the world that are really poor should have exactly what we have. . . . I hope that they have the same type of education we have here, clean water to drink, food—all the stuff that they need” (The North York Mirror, October 27, 2004). Organizing an Activity If you share Bilaal’s hope, you may wish, as a class, to organize an activity to raise money for UNICEF or one of the other charities active in Haiti (see the suggestions in the sidebar and use the organizer on the next page to help you decide which group to help).

The type of fund-raising activity you choose to organize may be very different from Bilaal’s; just remember to arrange any necessary permission with your school administration and students’ council.

Once you have selected your activity, you may find the following chart useful to help organize the various tasks required to complete the fund-raiser and to ensure the participation of all your classmates. Under the “Tasks” heading, assign further responsibilities as required. Selecting an Activity Use the chart on the next page to identify some charities and activities that you might consider.

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 43 Information About Charity Possible Fund-raising Activities and Contact Information

Once you have agreed on a charity and activity, move on to organizing this event.

Tasks Student(s) Responsible Complete By (Date) 1. People to Contact

2. Information to be Gathered

3. Permission to Arrange

4.

5.

6.

CBC News in Review • November 2004 • Page 44