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From left to right, Giovanny Olarte, Nayrouz Olarte, Bobby Huggins, Priscilla Sachiko | Photo by Remain Photography
Orlando Community Comes together for Colombia
On August 10th, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, leaving hundreds dead and causing widespread destruction across the country.
By August 22nd, Colombian authorities reported at least 329 people had died, 4,600 were injured and 247 remained missing. More than 314,000 people across 481 municipalities had been affected. More than 31,000 homes were destroyed and another 171,000 damaged, along with damage to schools, health facilities, roads and other infrastructure.
Thousands of miles away, members of Orlando's Colombian community and others who wanted to help began asking what they could do. That response became Colombia Rises, a fundraising event held at Trellis 925 in Dr. Phillips that brought together local entrepreneurs, artists, performers, businesses and the local Orlando community to raise money for those affected by the earthquake.
Rather than simply asking people to attend a fundraiser, organizers worked with members of the Orlando community to create an experience in which products, services and talent were donated in support of the effort.
While the event was a one night opportunity, organizers are asking the community to still consider contributing as they’ll be collecting donations through the month of September.
Click Here Contribute to Colombia Rises
"In under two weeks, every local artist, designer and business owner I contacted said yes," Priscilla Sachiko said. "We all came together, donating products, services and talent to raise funds for GEM Foundation, so Colombian families and communities could have hope again."
From left to right, Dianna Desboyaux, Priscilla Sachiko, Karina Martin | Photo by Remain Photography
For Sachiko, the response demonstrated how a humanitarian crisis thousands of miles away could bring people together here in Orlando. "One small drop in an endless ocean," she said. "But we hope it's the start of something bigger for Orlando."
In some cases, the people who came together to make Colombia Rises possible had never met before.
Bobby Huggins, owner of Trellis 925, did not know the Olartes before the event. But before anyone approached him about hosting Colombia Rises, Huggins said he had already been thinking about whether there was something he could do to help. Several members of his staff are Colombian, making the devastation feel closer to home.
The connection came through Jess Soto, a mutual friend who knew the Olartes and had attended events at Trellis 925. Soto approached Huggins with the idea of doing something for Colombia.
"I was already kinda feeling it," Huggins told Orlando Life. "I wish we could do something for them, because I have some Colombian staff members."
From the left to right, Yisel Tejeda, Giovanny Olarte, Nayrouz Olarte | Photo by Remain Photography
Huggins agreed to get involved, and Soto connected him with the Olartes.
That willingness to contribute extended beyond Orlando's Colombian community.
Dianna Desboyaux, a local entrepreneur and owner of Maison Social Catering, was among the business owners who contributed to the event, with Maison Social providing the catered food spread.
"When Nayrouz contacted me about Colombia Rises, I knew it was going to be an immediate yes to whatever was needed from me," Desboyaux said. "Being from Brazil, this one felt personal to me. Because I simply did what I would hope someone else would do for my country if we were ever facing the same kind of tragedy. This was our way of showing up and supporting the community when they needed us."
Giovanny Olarte described Colombia Rises as a demonstration of what can happen when people unite around a common purpose.
"Colombia Rises was a powerful demonstration of what faith, unity, and compassion can accomplish," Olarte said. "Our community came together with one heart and one purpose, to stand with the people of Colombia in their time of need."
Olarte credited his wife, Global Empowerment Mission and those who helped make the event possible, including Priscilla, Jess and Bob, while emphasizing that the effort extended well beyond its organizers.
Photo by Remain Photography
"Most importantly, thank you to every person, organization, volunteer, and supporter who stepped forward to help," Olarte said. "Colombia Rises belongs to all of us, it is a reflection of what is possible when a community comes together with love, faith, and a shared commitment to make a difference."
That sense of community extended into Orlando's arts and cultural community.
Maria Fernanda Saavedra, a Colombian artist and cultural leader with Ballet Folklorico Huellas de Colombia Folkdances, participated in the event and brought Colombian culture into the fundraising effort through dance.
"When entrepreneurs Nayrouz and Giovanny Olarte, along with Dave Vanz, reached out to me to support Colombia Rises, I did not hesitate to say yes," Saavedra said.
"As a Colombian artist and cultural leader, my mission has always been to preserve and share culture through dance," she said. "Being able to bring that mission into an event created to raise awareness and funds for the people and communities affected by the earthquake in Colombia was especially meaningful to me."
For Saavedra, one of the most significant parts of the event was seeing entrepreneurs use the resources and relationships they had built in Orlando for something beyond business.
"I was especially inspired to see a group of entrepreneurs come together, not for business, but for a cause greater than themselves," she told Orlando Life. "They used their voices, their resources, their connections, and their hearts to help our Colombian community during a difficult time."
The arts also provided an opportunity for attendees to connect with the culture of the country they had gathered to support.
"Dance has the power to tell stories, preserve our roots, connect generations, and bring people together," Saavedra said. "On this occasion, it also became a way to serve, to show solidarity, and to remind us that culture can be a powerful force for good."
"Colombia may have been shaken, but our community rises together," Saavedra said.
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