Friday, February 26th, 2010

Lawrence Tech alumnus Donald Stevens has been through some tough times in Haiti the past few months, but his trip to the Lawrence Tech campus turned out to be one of his worst days.

Stevens returned to campus Feb. 18 to speak about his efforts to build housing for an orphanage as part of the Entrepreneurial Lecture Series. But he had two cancel both his lectures after being taken to Providence Hospital in Southfield with a sudden illness related to a previous medical condition. He was released from the hospital the following day.

Stevens will return in April to give the lectures, according to Senior Lecturer Don Reimer, associate director of entrepreneurial programs.

Before falling ill last week, Stevens spoke with Christine Costa and Kevin McLarney, who along with Chris Harris will be spending their alternative spring break in Haiti working on housing with Stevens’ nonprofit organization, Reconstruction Efforts Aiding Children without Homes (REACH).

Stevens, who earned a degree in architecture from Lawrence Tech in 1992, is president of two building companies, STUCC ON STEEL and SHELTER2HOME, in Winchester, Va.

His nonprofit began working in Haiti after hurricanes caused widespread destruction of housing, and he has increased his efforts since the Jan. 12 earthquake caused massive destruction.

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