Attorney seeks help for hurricane victims

Nov. 11, 1998

Attorney Harold O.M. Rocha is appealing to lawyers throughout Wisconsin to lend their support to a relief campaign for the victims of Hurricane Mitch in his native Nicaragua.

Rocha, past president of the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers' Association and a former associate at Quarles & Brady in Milwaukee, is personally collaborating with Nicaragua's Ministry of Health in an effort to channel medical supplies and monetary aid to the devastated region. He is also working closely with the Wisconsin-Nicaragua Partners and the American Red Cross.

Hurricane Mitch, the worst hurricane to hit Central America in two centuries, ravaged Nicaragua, Honduras and other parts of Central America with torrential rains that flooded hundreds of villages. Over 10,000 lives were lost in the storm and millions of people were left homeless. Nicaragua's Ambassador Francisco Aguirre Sacasa indicated that an estimated 4,000 Nicaraguans perished and 800,000 left homeless, according to a CNN report.

"Wisconsin and Nicaragua have a sister-state relationship that is exactly 33 years old," Rocha notes in an appeal letter he is circulating. "The Wisconsin spirit has been present in Nicaragua through an earthquake, civil war, and other national emergencies. I hope I can count on your help once again."

Attorneys interested in helping the victims of Hurricane Mitch should contact Rocha at (608) 257-7936.