OU students joined worldwide efforts and raised more than $10,000 in combined efforts to aid Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Students organized numerous events and fund-raisers for the Haiti relief just weeks after the disaster happened. Many of the events are finished, but some groups are still raising funds.

The Delta Upsilon and Delta Gamma Water Project will sell T-shirts and wristbands in front of Dale Hall today and Friday to raise money to supply clean water to earthquake victims, said Conner McMakin, organizational communication junior.

McMakin, the Delta Upsilon philanthropy chairman, said the project has raised approximately $3,000 so far.

“The main goal of the project is to raise money to build clean water wells in Haiti,” McMakin said. “Water is what they need the most.”

There also is an ongoing coin war between the dorm buildings to raise money for Haiti that ends Friday.

The U-Night for Haiti event Feb. 6 raised almost $4,000 for the Red Cross Haiti Relief fund, said Megan Powers, international area studies senior.

Powers, the event organizer, said she wanted OU to join together to help Haiti.

“Something that really struck me when I arrived [in Oklahoma] here was how giving and open and compassionate people are,” Powers said.

U-Night for Haiti included a guest speaker originally from Haiti, an OU graduate guest speaker whose orphanage in Haiti was destroyed, five live bands, a signed sports memorabilia auction, a photo slideshow, an African dance, a raffle and a letter-writing project to a Haiti mission.

Powers said she would like to bring a guest speaker to OU in the future to inform students about opportunities at relief organizations after they graduate.

Confections for a Cause, an online baked goods business, raised $3,000 for the American Red Cross Haiti relief fund. Founded by Michelle Sutherlin, human relations graduate student, Confections for a Cause recruited 23 volunteer bakers donated their time and resources to sell baked goods online for the cause, she said.

“With our bakers and our sponsorships, I think we were able to have a significant impact on the people of Haiti,” Sutherlin said.

Sutherlin said the group’s goal is to become a non-profit and continue raising money for local charities.

The Hearts for Haiti Walk-a-thon raised more than $700 for the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

More than 100 people participated in the event Feb. 6 at the Crossroads Mall, said Jourdan Selim-Guyton, broadcast and electronic communication senior.

“I’m pleased with the results and I think everyone came out to support a good cause,” Selim-Guyton, the event organizer, said.

According to the Inter-American Development Bank study released Feb. 16, estimated costs for the Haiti disaster are between $7.2 billion and $13.2 billion.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper focused on nonprofit organizations, estimated $774 million in donations raised by Feb.17, $276 million coming from the American Red Cross.