At the recently concluded APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, many of us had the opportunity to meet colleagues from Gulf Coast states that were ravaged last fall by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The stories they shared gave us a deeper appreciation for the tragedy most of us just experienced through television.  Many were inspired by their fortitude, and think of them now as news of the controversial rebuilding effort unfolds.  However, more must be done than just holding these colleagues in our thoughts and prayers.  The APHA State affiliates in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Washington State invite you to join them in raising $10,000 to help the Louisiana Public Health Association hold its 2006 annual meeting this spring.

The seed for this fundraising effort was planted in an evening “late breaker” session in Philadelphia, where leaders from Louisiana and Mississippi showed slides and discussed their personal hurricane experiences.  In discussions after, it was learned that the Mississippi affiliate needed help recruiting a keynote speaker for its 2006 annual meeting, while Louisiana needed at least $10,000 to organize and provide scholarships for members to attend their annual meeting in Baton Rouge on April 19-21.  

Affiliate leaders present that night helped secure a keynote speaker for Mississippi—2005 APHA Roemer Award winner, Harold Cox—and agreed to raise funds for the Louisiana affiliate, which must organize its annual meeting this year without support it normally receives from the state health department. 

Help the Louisiana Public Health Association reach out to as many public health professionals as possible with their meeting by making the most generous contribution possible now to ensure that members of the Louisiana affiliate can have a successful annual meeting in April, despite the devastation suffered by their families and communities. 

This is a special, one-time request for voluntary contributions.  This appeal was approved by a unanimous vote of the Committee on Affiliates, which considered the proposal in Philadelphia.  The project has been discussed with and approved by leaders from both Mississippi and Louisiana.  APHA is establishing a special fund to collect donations.  One hundred percent of funds received will be used for the 2006 Louisiana Public Health Association annual meeting.  Affiliates including Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin have already made financial commitments.  Checks should be made to the American Public Health Association and mailed to:

American Public Health Association

800 I Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

ATTN:  Lakitia Mayo

Memo Section of Check:  Louisiana Public Health Association Fundraiser

This is a critical juncture for the Louisiana Public Health Association and our public health colleagues in Louisiana.   Let’s help our sister affiliate make a difference in providing its public health colleagues with the debriefing they need after such a difficult time. 

Thank you very much for your consideration.  If you have any questions regarding this effort, please contact Lakitia Mayo at (202) 777-2515 or lakitia.mayo@apha.org.