Local Woman Comes to Aid of Orphaned Ethiopians With HIV
Fundraiser for Gift of Love Asko orphanage this weekend
By Nora Ankrum, Fri., March 31, 2006
At first, she says, "I was gonna collect canned goods and clothing and ship it over there it was just my ignorance because you can't go do stuff like that." So instead, she enlisted the help of Save the Children, after seeing STC Director Dennis Walto on TV and calling him up for advice. The group helped publicize her grassroots fundraisers, from carwashes to silent auctions, and brought her to Ethiopia to donate her funds to a feeding center. While there, she toured the programs STC supported, which brought her to Gift of Love. Once again, she decided to do something, but rather than go through Save the Children, which provides psychotherapy for the children, she decided to go it alone so that she could give the orphans something they weren't already getting a chance at survival.
Lazar hopes to raise enough money to provide antiretroviral therapy to each child at the orphanage, which has now grown to 400 children. It's an ambitious goal, considering the medication costs around $100 a month per child, but she's in it for the long haul. "If I go at the rate that I'm going, it could take years," she admits, "but the thing I'm trying to do right now in Austin is educate people on the need for it." Lazar kicks off her fundraising campaign this Saturday at Body Vida/ Kim Soo Martial Arts, 1109 S. Congress, with "Around the World in Eighty Fashions," a fashion show with clothing from Rikki Rae Designs, dance from Roy Lozano Ballet Folklórico, live music from Zappinatra, and food from Taj Palace. Tickets are $40, available at www.reflektionsevents.com.
Got something to say? The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion.