A Superior Court judge will share his experiences in earthquake-ravaged Haiti in a special talk at Brock Thursday night.

Jim Turnbull, a Hamilton-based judge who hears cases in Niagara and throughout south central Ontario, will discuss his some 35 trips to Haiti as part of the One Mission Society International, a Christian humanitarian organization. His most recent trip was last week, when he helped in northern Haiti, a refuge for people who have fled the destroyed capital of Port au Prince.

The One Mission Society, through its group the Joy and Hope of Haiti, has built about 20 schools and an orphanage in northern Haiti. Turnbull described the country’s recent state as grim.

“If you think about it, there are an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Haitians killed in the earthquake,” he said. “There’s a saying that if one Canadian dies, another 50 people are touched by the ripple effect. What we have is thousands more people who have lost very close friends or family members.”

Turnbull’s talk will encourage students to use their degrees to do good in the world.

“I want to encourage them to take their degrees, and whatever path they follow in life, use it to help people who are in worse situations than they are,” he said. “There is nothing worse than getting a degree and becoming a spectator. We need to get out into the arena of life.”

Turnbull’s presentation will be a public event at 7 p.m. in Thistle 256. All are welcome.

Brock’s Haiti fundraising efforts have reached $13,926.71 as of Wednesday afternoon. With the federal government’s matching grant, that totals more than $32,000.