On the final Sunday in March, Artists for Peace and Justice founder Paul Haggis and his wife Deborah hosted an Advisory Board Brunch to give an update on our progress in Haiti over the past year. Supporters of APJ from all over the US and Canada made the trip to celebrate accomplishments and hear about our goals for 2011.

Having just returned from a trip to Haiti, Paul gave a presentation on the Academy for Peace and Justice Welcoming Ceremony, and Country Director Bryn Mooser presented a slide show and videos of Academy students and his newly formed Little League team. Board Member David Belle explained the importance of supporting grassroots organizations in Haiti and why Artists for Peace and Justice succeeds where so many other organizations fail -- our dedicated staff members on the ground are committed to building strong relationships based on community empowerment. Attendees also got a chance to hear from Advisory Board Member Dr. Henri Ford, who explained the impact of our medical programs in Haiti and how as a native Haitian, Dr. Ford is proud to be a part of APJ’s development model.

The afternoon ended with the welcoming of three incredible Advisory Board Members – Jane Fonda, Sharon Osbourne and Dr. Garry Craighead of Austin, TX, as well as the acknowledgement of our inaugural Creative Board Member Johnny Ryan, Jr. The brunch raised pledges of over $500,000 for our programs in Haiti, our most successful fundraiser to date in 2011.

We are also excited to announce that Milla Jovovich and NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma have joined our Advisory Board due to their commitment to Haiti and generous support of APJ. Welcome to the newest members of the APJ family!

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