Friends of the High Line to Host ¡ARRIBA! Fundraiser for Puerto Rico & Mexico

Friends of the High Line will host a special edition of their popular Arriba! series entitled ¡ARRIBA! Special Fundraiser Edition: Coming Together for Puerto Rico & Mexico to raise funds and compile supplies that will support relief efforts in Puerto Rico and Mexico on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 6 - 9 pm on the High Line at 16th St.

The event will feature performances from some of New York City's hottest Latin bands - Bomba and Plena contemporary classics from Los Pleneros de la 21, Mexican acoustic "bluegrass" artist Rana Santacruz, as well as the amazing beats of DJ Rimarkable.

Events on the High Line are always free and open to the public, but on this occasion, Friends of the High Line asks visitors to donate to the recovery efforts for Puerto Rico and Mexico in any way they are able.

Financial donations will be accepted on-site and also can be made via the Arriba! registration page. All proceeds will go to Topos México and the Defend Puerto Rico Hurricane Fund.

Donations of goods for recovery efforts for Puerto Rico will be accepted on site. Recommended items include diapers for babies and the elderly, baby wipes, baby formula, powdered milk, and baby food; flashlights, batteries, insect repellent, can openers, candles, and matches; toiletries, feminine products, and First Aid supplies; crackers, dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, canned goods, instant noodles, and rice. Donated goods will be managed by El Puente.

After the devastation of Hurricane Maria, approximately 3.5 million residents of Puerto Rico are facing months of recovery without power, destroyed crops, and dwindling access to water, food, and fuel; and residents of Mexico City and those throughout the countryside are still reeling from the destruction wrought by the earthquake on September 19, 2017 and the deaths of over 300 people across the country.

"The Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Latinx communities have been an integral and defining part of the neighborhoods surrounding the High Line, and their history is an essential part of ours." Solana Chehtman, Associate Director of Public Engagement for Friends of the High Line, said. "We feel deeply the importance of sharing our support with Puerto Rico and Mexico at this moment."

Friends of the High Line, the nonprofit organization that raises 98% of the High Line's annual operating budget and maintains, operates, and programs the park, is proud to partner with many of our neighbors and friends who have been committed to work serving local Puerto Rican and Mexican communities for decades, work that has only increased these past few weeks. These partners include El Puente, Fulton Youth of the Future, Hudson Guild, Teatro Círculo, The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), The Loisaida Center, and the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.

IF YOU GO:

¡ARRIBA! Special Fundraiser Edition: Coming Together for Puerto Rico & Mexico
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
6 - 9 pm
On the High Line at 16th St.
RSVP & Donate

Friends of the High Line raises 98% of the High Line's annual budget. Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Defend Puerto Rico Hurricane Fund is committed to providing support to low income communities and communities of color, for which they have partnered with local community-based organizations in Puerto Rico Taller Salud, COPI (La Corporación Piñones Se Integra), and Nuestra Escuela to deliver goods and services.

Topos México is a nonprofit rescue brigade made up of volunteers that was created after a 1985 earthquake. For three decades, they have helped with relief efforts in Mexico and around the world.

El Puente is a community human rights institution that promotes leadership for peace and justice through the engagement of members (youth and adult) in the arts, education, scientific research, wellness and environmental action.