Hearts 4 Haiti hits home
PROSPECT — When the Rev. Jim Lewis went on a mission, he soon made it his mission.
Now retired, the former minister of the Karns City and Chicora United Methodist Church went on a mission trip to Haiti years ago, through the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He began making two such trips to that country each year.
“Those people needed so much ... They still do,” Lewis said. “But slowly, surely, we were able to make a difference. Medical care wasn’t close to sufficient. People, kids, would go untreated. They were so far behind.”
Through his mission work, Lewis helped to form Hearts 4 Haiti, a charitable foundation designed to improve medical training and facilities in that country. Lewis’ wife is the former Lori Portman, a 1976 Butler graduate. Longtime Butler area football coach Ralph McElhaney and former Butler pitcher Steve Gilliland, a best-selling author and member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, are 1976 Butler grads as well.
Portman and McElhaney have been good friends through the years.
“I met Jim through her,” McElhaney said. “He’s an amazing guy. I found out about Hearts 4 Haiti and all he’s done there. He’s such a humble guy ... he rarely talks about it.”
He’ll be talking about it plenty Sept. 8, when The Atrium in Prospect plays host to the first-ever Hearts 4 Haiti, Be The Difference Gala from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets to the event — which includes a cocktail reception, dinner, open bar, entertainment, a special gift and a silent auction — are $100. All proceeds will benefit the disadvantaged people of Haiti.
The bulk of the entertainment will be Gilliland, who volunteered his services as the keynote speaker. He can be heard daily on SiriusXM Radio’s Laugh USA, and Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup. Gilliland speaks to more than 250,000 people a year and has delivered inspirational speeches all over the world.
McElhaney is good friends with Gilliland and brought he and Lewis together.
“Jim was talking about putting together this gala as a fundraiser and wasn’t quite sure how to go about it,” McElhaney said. “I thought of Steve right away. I knew he’d lend his support to this project because his foundation does this sort of thing all the time.”
Gilliland and his wife, Diane, established the Gilliland Foundation years ago to help improve the lives of the underprivileged.
“I inquired about their mission and purpose,” Gilliland said. “I immediately realized how Hearts 4 Haiti aligned with our mission and purpose statement. Just like Hearts 4 Haiti, our goal is to make life better in some way for people less fortunate.
“Both organizations want to improve lives, help people envision a better future, and take the steps necessary to make it happen. Being a part of the Hearts 4 Haiti, Be The Difference Gala, is a perfect fit for who we are.”
The Gilliland Foundation and Hearts 4 Haiti are both 100% volunteer with no paid employees.
Gilliland added that “after talking to Jim, I was on board right away. Our board of directors is 100% in support of Hearts 4 Haiti.”
The Gilliland Foundation will be the presenting sponsor for the gala.
Hearts 4 Haiti put a Haitian youth — Maudelin Mesadieu — through medical school. Once he graduated, Mesadieu became a physician who could have opened a practice anywhere in the world.
He chose to remain in his home country and is one of the Hearts 4 Haiti directors today. He will be on hand to welcome everyone to the gala.
“Helping his own people was the reason he went to school for medicine,” Lewis said. “The work he does there is incredible.”
In 2016, Hearts 4 Haiti set a goal to build a medical clinic. That clinic was finished in 2020 and was dedicated in March of that year.
“There are 12 rooms and we are now supporting a paid staff,” Lewis said. “But there is so much more to do. We need funding. We’re hoping this gala becomes an annual fundraiser.”
Tickets to the gala are available at Hearts4Haiti.com, by calling 724-822-6168 or at the She’Lor School of Dance at 534 Fairground Hill Road.
Gilliland said 200 tickets will be sold, first come, first served, individually or by table.
“Haiti is the second poorest country in the world,” Gilliland said. “This event will impact Haiti in a very positive way. It’s a chance to make a difference.”
