A huge community fund-raising effort is currently under way for earthquake-ravaged Haiti – with schools, churches, clubs and community groups raising thousands of dollars for the impoverished Caribbean Nation.

On Monday, Clearwater Middle School presented a cheque to the Red Cross for $1,500 which they raised through a school grub day.

Grub days are used to raise funds by many local schools. Students are allowed to wear their casual clothes to school with a small donation to a charity or other fund raising effort.

While Clearwater Middle School was the first to present a cheque to the Red Cross, many other local schools and organisations are also doing their part to help Haiti.

Victor Scott School raised $1000 on Saturday after six students created a Victor Scott Gombey Troupe.

The students performed at the peace rally on Victor Scott Field last Saturday and although they had only two drummers, "they beat their hearts out," said Nuri Latham, a teacher at the school.

According to Mr. Latham, the students have also cancelled a planned community service and university tour in Washington, DC.

They are instead donating all the money raised for the trip to the Yele Haiti Relief Fund, a charity set up by Grammy award winning musician and native Haitian, Wyclef Jean.

Cynthia Barnes of Saltus Grammar School said that Saltus had raised over $10,000 for the Red Cross through a grub day held last week. Additionally, two students from Saltus thought up some creative ways to raise some money.

Saltus Student Jack Monaghan raised several hundred dollars by staging a bake sale and selling cookies. Another Saltus student, Tucker Paris, raised a substantial amount of cash selling grapefruits from a tree in his garden.

A grub day held last Friday and a bake sale yesterday helped Mount Saint Agnes School Raise $5,000 for Caritas International – the Catholic Church's Caribbean Office in St. Lucia, which will distribute the funds to Haiti.

Warwick Academy's Secondary School has completed one fund-raising initiative but has two more planned.

"We raised over $10,000 from our Grub Day earlier this week and then we still have Pizza day on Friday which should raise another $2000," Said Jane Vickers, Director of Development at Warwick Academy.

This Friday Warwick Academy will sell Pizzas during their lunch break.

"Franz Egenolf, owner of Pizza House, Shelly Bay, had very kindly agreed to donate the pizza so 100% of sales will go to Haiti support," added Ms Vickers. On January 29, the school will stage an event called "laps for Haiti" where year 13 students will collect sponsors and run laps around Warwick Academy's campus.

Bermuda Salsa.com is holding a dance-a-thon this Friday night at the Newstead Hotel to raise money for Haiti.

All students and staff at the school will dance for as long as they can without stopping for periods of ten minutes and up to an hour.

The dance-a-thon will also be held at the Reefs Hotel on Saturday evenings and The Southampton Princess of Thursday nights.

And Bishop Patrick White, the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, urged his parishioners to give in any way that they can.

"I believe there is a need for us to respond corporately as parishes and as a diocese," said Bishop White. "We are in this world together and the true test of faith is how we reach out to one another and to God in times of need.

"Judging by past experience I know you will give generously and add to the outpouring of gifts in the name of our Lord."

On Monday, the Red Cross in Bermuda reported they had already raised over $136,000 for Haiti from local donations with "many, many more funds still to come through".

On Tuesday, January 12 Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has so far, according to some estimates, killed upward of 100,000 people and left many more displaced and injured.

Haiti is a notoriously poor country with very weak infrastructure.

Getting aid to much of the isolated villages is proving extremely difficult for the aid workers and volunteers who have descended upon the country over the past days.