Volunteer students, Girl Scouts and Norman residents packaged food to send to hungry children in Haiti Wednesday night.

Kids Against Hunger, a national organization that sends meals to children around the world, organized the event, which took place in Hester Hall, Tulsa co-director Shelly Horn said.

40,000 children die every day from malnutrition, starvation and hunger related diseases, according to the Kids Against Hunger Web site. The organization delivers food to 70 countries and has given about 100 million meals to starving children around the world, she said.

“The goal is to largely reduce hunger,” Horn said. “We call it a miracle package.”

Haiti, which had four hurricanes last September, is wracked with political riots and starvation, Horn said. The hurricanes killed 900 people and destroyed many crops, she said.

According to the group, the mortality rate for children under 5 years old in Haiti is 120 per 1,000 births.

“It’s a very, very poor country,” volunteer Monica Gries said. “They’re in great need.”

The food packaged for Haitain children is a combination developed by nutritionists at major food companies like General Mills and Pillsbury, Horn said. The packages are a mixture of white long grain rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and vitamin supplement powder. The packages, although small, will hold six meals.

“It’s very healthy,” Horn said. “We should all be eating this.”

Girl Scout Ainslee Gabriel, a second grader, volunteered to help package food making sure the packages of food were in rows of 12 and ready to store in boxes.

“I think it’s a good idea because you’re helping kids that are not full,” she said.

Nicole Egli, University College freshman, said she has raised money for Haiti before at a motorcycle rally at her church in Tulsa.

“It’s such an impoverished country,” she said. “The cause is close to my heart.”

Gries said she was happy with the turnout.

“I’m the mother of a 3 year old,” she said. “I just couldn’t imagine having a starving child.”