3:15pm | As footage from earthquake-ravaged Haiti began to invade our living rooms two weeks ago, east Long Beach resident Kym Livesay sprung into action.

“I just looked at my husband and said, ‘We’ve gotta do something,’” she says. “So we just pooled all our resources and people are really coming out of the woodwork to give us a hand.”

The result will be a celebration-style event with live music, prize drawings, face painting and food and drinks held this Sunday at the El Dorado Community Center at 2800 Studebaker Road from 11:00am-3:00pm.  The Livesays hope to raise $40,000 in that short period of time, and all proceeds will be donated directly to the Red Cross relief fund for Haiti.

It isn’t the Livesays first foray into disaster relief.

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, they came up with $100 and were about to donate it to the cause, but it just didn’t seem like enough.

“It didn’t really reflect the devastation that had occurred,” Livesay says.

So they decided to do something else. They spent the $100 on a hot dog stand, recruited help from their neighborhood association, local boy scouts and a smoothie company and held a community event that raised more than $8,000 in just four hours. This weekend, they’ve decided to up the ante and set a lofty goal for themselves. 

But sparked by an outpouring of support from Councilmember Gerrie Schipske and other City departments, the event has gained momentum and is expected to be very well attended.  Monetary donations are preferred, but non-perishable foods will also be accepted. With enough help, the Livesays’ little hot dog stand may blossom into a massive fundraising event for Haitians that need assistance now more than ever.

“At a very basic human level, they need our help,” Livesay says. “Even with the very minute amount of information that was coming out, its clear that the effects have been catastrophic. I couldn’t even wrap my brain around what happened. To imagine the damage that has been done to the people and their infrastructure, I just don’t think that anyone here can wrap their minds around what’s going on there.”

Across the nation, reports indicate that two weeks after the earthquake, donations have slowed to a trickle. But that certainly isn’t the case in Long Beach. Along with the Livesays’ upcoming weekend event, local coffeehouse Portfolio recently raised $1,700 for the cause with a live concert last week, and on Friday we told you the story of Haitian native Herold Noel and his regular rescue missions to the ravaged nation.

“No matter where were at, with the recession and the loss of jobs and money in the market, even with that, were still in a better position than the people of Haiti,” Livesay says. “Everyone has some way that they can help.”