05. 02. 10. - 15:00

Vienna cultural events for Haitian earthquake relief announced

A special auction at Vienna’s Galerie Rienössl and a performance at the Ronacher Theatre are to be held in the near future to benefit Haitian earthquake relief efforts, it was announced today (Fri).

The auction will take place at the gallery at 7pm on Wednesday, 10 February. Art expert Otto Hans Ressler will auction off 20 works of art by 12 members of artists’ group ARS13. Works by artists such as Kurt Benesch, Klaus Pichler and Christine Wurnitsch may be seen at the gallery that day from 2pm to 6pm.

The gallery is located at Nußdorferstraße 53 in Vienna’s ninth district, Alsergrund. For more information, see www.rienoessl.at

The special performance is the initiative of musical directors Marjan Shaki and Lukas Perman. It will feature the ensemble of the musical "Tanz der Vampire" (Dance of the Vampires) and artists Rainhard Fendrich, Wolfgang Ambros, Nicole Beutler and Alexander Goebel providing glimpses into the culture, history and traditions of Haiti.

Tickets will range in price from 20 to 60 Euros. They may be purchased at www.musicalvienna.at, www.wienticket.at and telephone number +43 1 588 85.

Proceeds from both events will be given to the "Nachbar in Not" (Neighbour in Need) charity for use in Haitian earthquake relief efforts.

Meanwhile, Austrian aid began to arrive in Haiti last week as charities started sending plane-loads of supplies and medicines to the earthquake-ravaged state. Two trucks and 76 crates of medical supplies left Vienna for Haiti last week as part of an aid package from the Neighbour in Need charity.

Medical supplies were also sent to Santo Domingo last week after the Interior Ministry paid for their transport. The supplies will enable Caritas’ health stations in Haiti to care for 100,000 people during the next three months.

Austrian charity "Licht für die Welt" (Light for the World) said last week it would help build a rehabilitation centre for Haitian earthquake victims and help rebuild part of the destroyed University Clinic in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

Austrian farmers have also pledged to help farmers in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The nine provincial agriculture chambers and the Raiffeisen group said they would contribute 30,000 Euros to support a Hilfswerk Austria agricultural project for 1,000 farm families in the Caribbean state.

The Red Cross, Caritas, CARE charity, Licht für die Welt, the Agriculture Chamber and the Workers’ Samaritan Federation have set up accounts for donations to help Haiti earthquake victims, which can be made to:

CARE: PSK 1.236.000 (BLZ 60.000) – password: "Haiti";

Caritas: PSK 7.700 004, (BLZ 60.000) – password: "Erdbeben Haiti",

Austrian Red Cross (Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz): PSK: 2.345.000 (BLZ 60.000) - password: "Erdbeben Haiti";

Licht für die Welt: PSK 92.011.650 (BLZ 60.000) - password: "Haiti-Aufbauhilfe";

Agriculture Chamber: PSK account 90.311.400 (BLZ 60.000).

Workers’ Samaritan Federation: PSK 00001-834-000 (BLZ 60000) - password: "Erdbebenhilfe Haiti."