In Thursday’s (1/14) Redlands Daily Facts (California), Joy Juedes writes, “Redlands Symphony music director Jon Robertson turned on the television Tuesday to catch up on the news. ‘That’s when I saw there was a 7-point earthquake in Port-au-Prince (Haiti),’ he said. Florence Bellande-Robertson, Robertson’s wife, was at their house in the mountains when the earthquake hit. One of their daughters, Nadege Robertson-Tippenhauer, lives down the street. ‘I tried to call, everything was dead,’ said Robertson, who lives in Delray Beach, Fla., and comes to Redlands to conduct the symphony. He had also been in Haiti over the holidays. … His wife contacted him Tuesday night through a friend’s Florida landline. She and their family in Haiti were fine, and their home, her family’s estate, was not damaged, Robertson said. The international Red Cross on Thursday estimated up to 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake. … The Robertsons have a foundation, Foundation Hope for Haiti, that works with orphanages and health organizations. The foundation is accepting donations, Robertson said. ‘This is going to take massive effort from around the world,’ he said.” Donations to assist in recovery efforts can be made through Foundation Hope for Haiti.
Posted January 15, 2010
