Haitian choir plans 'thank you' concert

Performance to show gratitude for support after earthquake ASBURY PARK — A 40-member choir from the Methodist Church of Haiti will hold a concert to thank Americans for their support, and to continue raising money for its homeland. The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church, 906 Grand Ave. The choir from Duplan, near Petionville in the mountains overlooking Port-au-Prince, is touring the Northeast, said the Rev. Sony Augustin, senior pastor at First United Methodist.

“It is a ‘thank you, America’ concert because of all of the support they received from people here, and they come just as an act of gratitude,” Augustin said. Like many other communities, Asbury Park, Neptune and surrounding towns launched a major relief effort to help get food, shelter, medical supplies and money to Haiti after an earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010, killed more than 300,000 people, injured another 300,000 and left 1 million homeless, by many accounts. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. Many of the touring choir members are staying with people in the local community who are themselves from Petionville, Augustin said. “They are well aware of the support that this community has for Haiti,” he said. The tour includes performances in Englewood and Hackettstown, with the last concert in Asbury Park on Sunday, Augustin said. The choir members, whose ages range from 20 to 40, will be selling compact discs of their work as part of their fundraising, both to fund their own trips and to continue rebuilding their country, he added. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the door or by calling the church at 732-775-2693. Nancy Shields: nshields@njpressmedia.com http://www.app.com/article/20120821/NJNEWS/308210060/Haitian-choir-plans-thank-you-concert