SEARCY, Ark.
The idea stemmed out of the student body’s relief project “Tents and Tarps,” which strives to provide immediate shelter to Haitian families in need. To date, more than $30,000 has been raised, and 200 tents have been sent to Port-au-Prince. For more information on Tents and Tarps, go to
InTents Night will be a “once-in-a-lifetime experience for change,”
co-director of the event Sarah Kyle said.
“What these students are doing is something they may never get a chance to do again here at Harding,” Kyle said. “I mean, how many times are you going to get that many students to camp out together for a good cause?”
The event, which starts at 9:30 Friday night, will include performances by student bands, various games, a prayer room and will culminate in a 6 a.m. breakfast.
However, InTents Night is not merely about fun and games, Kyle said.
Rather, she hopes the event will be a chance for students to raise awareness for the situation that many Haitians face.
“Obviously, our students are never going to be able to fully grasp what the Haitian people are going through,” Kyle said. “But it’s going to be cold out there. There may be some rain. If students start complaining about the weather, that will be our opportunity to say ‘If we can’t stand a night without complaining, how much more do they need these tents?’”
Kyle said the event will also raise funds for Tents and Tarps through corporate sponsorship, as well as through donations. First Security Bank has agreed to be a corporate sponsor.
“Each student will create a Kimbia page that they can send to all of their family and friends,” Kyle said. “As soon as they sign up, they can send that link to everyone they know and ask them to ‘sponsor’
Tents and Tarps.”
InTents Night is Friday, Feb. 5. For more information, contact Sarah Kyle or Sky Vanderburg.
— In a continued effort to aid Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake, students at Harding University are camping in the middle of the university’s campus Friday, Feb. 5.www.tentsandtarps.org.
