Dancing for Haiti Kids: Herald Journal

Starrsteppers dance students rehearse their steps next to a pile of donations collected for Haiti relief Tuesday in Logan. (Braden Wolfe / Herald Journal)

By Matthew K. Jensen
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010 3:52 AM CST

They say dancers make the best athletes, and now some in Cache Valley just might make the best philanthropists, too.

Later this month, thousands of pounds of clothing and aid will be shipped from Utah to Haiti, destined for the Ruuska Village orphanage near Port-au-Prince. The clothes and other donations are part of a large-scale charity effort put together by Kevin and Mandi McBride of Mount Sterling and the Starrsteppers Dance Co. in Logan.

The McBrides’ adopted daughter, 17-year-old Charbine, is part of the Starrsteppers group. When her fellow classmates saw what happened in her native Haiti last month, they decided to help.

On Wednesday the group presented a check to Charbine for more than $700, which will go directly to Charbine’s biological mother and siblings who survived the massive earthquake.

“We wanted it to go straight to her family,” said Starrsteppers owner Tina Simmons. “The girls have been so excited. Even the kindergarten-aged kids have gone through their piggy banks and will bring in little bags with their pennies and their quarters. They’re just so proud and can’t wait to help.”

Simmons said she wanted to raise $500 to help Charbine’s family in Haiti but wasn’t sure if the young dance students could come up with such a large sum.

“At first we thought $500 was too high,” she said. “We didn’t really know what the dancers would bring in. But it’s really overwhelmed us, especially with the clothing.”

Charbine admits she’s a little embarrassed from all the attention she’s getting, but said she’s grateful her fellow dancers are helping out.

“It’s a good thing they’re doing,” said Charbine. “I think it’s awesome.”

Kevin and Mandi McBride will personally deliver the check to Charbine’s mother sometime in March, when they visit Haiti to help rebuild the damaged orphanage where Mandi was working as a volunteer nurse the week of the earthquake.

Charbine and 4-year-old Schnaider were adopted by the McBrides in 2008 after a years-long adoption process. Since then, Mandi has traveled to Haiti a few times to help at the orphanage.

As cash donations arrived at the dance studio, so did loads of clothing that will be boxed, palletized and shipped along with construction equipment, medical supplies and food to Merritt Island, Fla., before going by ship to Haiti.

Kevin McBride spent the last several days making trips with a pickup truck between the studio and a storage unit where he’s temporarily staging the goods before they’re shipped by an undisclosed Tremonton company who agreed to transport the load to Florida at no cost. The shipment is intended to help the 40 children who live at Ruuska Village.

“It probably doesn’t seem like a lot just going to help one little village,” said Kevin McBride. “But if you help 40 kids and keep them healthy then hopefully adoptions will pick up again and more kids can go through. You’ve gotta start somewhere.”

The supplies are expected to arrive in Florida on March 1. The McBrides are planning to arrive in Haiti around the same time the shipment does so they can help get it into the right hands.

“Once it gets to Haiti, it’s going to Ruuska Village,” he said. “I work for a construction company and I’m in the process of getting a bunch of construction supplies together to go to Florida along with the clothes.”

McBride says he needs to fill a 52-foot semi truck before it leaves Feb. 26. He still needs items including nails, shovels, drills, leather gloves, a rebar cutter, extension cords and other basic construction equipment.

Mandi McBride is working to send medical supplies in the shipment. Donations can be dropped off at 6910 S. 4000 West near Wellsville. For more information, call 730-0965.