Reaching Out: Gaia Online matches donations made to Red Cross Haiti Relief effort

When a 7.0 earthquake ripped through the capital of Haiti it left more than 72,000 people dead and thousands more in need food, water and medical care. Many sought to find a way to aid the Haitian people in their time of need, including Gaians.

I spoke with Craig Sherman, CEO of Gaia Online, about Gaians’ relief efforts.

“Our users saw the devastation and immediately started to respond, both with an outpouring of support and with actual donations. When we saw this, we met as a team and decided we would magnify our community’s efforts by matching their donations,” Sherman said. “Gaians are by nature incredibly generous and we believe our goal as a website is to help them make a difference.”

In support of the Red Cross Haiti Relief efforts Gaia Online announced that it will match the donations made by Gaians up to $10,000 and have created a dedicated online forum where the Gaian community can coordinate and support their donation effort.

Supporters do not have to become a member of Gaia Online to make a donation but if they would like Gaia Online to match the donation simply visit the Red Cross site, click on “Donate Now” and select the “Haiti Relief and Development” button and type “Gaia Online” in the Company/Organization Name field in order to have their donations matched.

Gaia Online was founded in 2003 and has since become an online hangout for teens and young adults with more than nine million visitors each month.

For more information about Gaia Online or instructions on how to have your donations matched visit the Gaia Online forum.

Site [Gaia Online] Site [Red Cross of America] Read [CNN's Haiti Coverage] Forum [Gaia Online Support Forum]

Image Source:Red Cross and Gaia Online