Co.’s step up to aid hurricane-ravaged Bahamas, Red Cross receiving donations
A number of private companies announced the steps they will take to help the Bahamas, where a number of its islands were ravaged by Hurricane Dorian, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
Evertec Inc. will donate $100,000 for hurricane relief efforts, said CEO Mac Schuessler.
“Hurricane Dorian is a devastating natural disaster in the Bahamas and our hearts go out to those affected. Given our experience with Hurricane María, we’re uniquely aware of the challenges they face and are committed to helping our neighbors with their recovery,” he said.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers is calling on citizens to cooperate in the collection of essential items that will be transported to the islands of the Bahamas.
“There’s no time to waste. We’ve seen the unprecedented disaster caused by the natural phenomenon after passing through the Bahamas and we cannot sit idly by,” said Alberto de la Cruz, president of Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers & CC1 Companies and manager of this initiative.
“For this we call on people to cooperate with essential items to be sent and received in Nassau this Friday,” he said. “We call on people and companies to join this initiative to collect as many supplies as possible.”
People interested in donating have until Thursday at 3 p.m. to drop off their goods at Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers’s facilities at the Minillas Industrial Park in Bayamón.
Items that will be collected include: medications (such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirins, triple antibiotics, antacids for children and adults, gauzes, bandages and other essential medicines sold over the counter), personal hygiene products, soaps, disinfectants, diapers, wet wipes or sanitizers, first aid items, sheets, empty gasoline containers.
Other critical and necessary products are blue tarps, chainsaws and small portable generators. Coca-Cola will keep a record of what is received and will weigh it.
Due to the capacity of the plane it will charter, the collection will be limited to the items listed and no clothes, canned food or water will be collected.
“The purpose is to collect everything that can really be carried. If necessary, the operation will be extended after the date indicated,” de la Cruz said.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean announced it is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, and ITM — its partners in the Holistica joint venture that is developing the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport — is also donating an additional $100,000.
“The Bahamas has always been more than a destination for and our guests. For more than half a century, we’ve made many friends and many memories. The Bahamas is also home to more than 500 of our colleagues who work at Perfect Day at CocoCay and the Grand Bahama Shipyard,” the cruise line said in a statement.
“To make sure our donations go where they can do the most good, we are collaborating with the Bahamian government and our nonprofit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation, and a network of Bahamian charities and organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network,” the company said.
“We’re loading all kinds of goods onto our ships — generators, water, cleaning supplies, clean sheets, towels, and more — for direct delivery to the Bahamas. The trained employee volunteers we call the GO Team are on their way to assist with relief efforts. And we’re taking special care of coworkers and their families who were affected by the storm,” the company said, adding its donation includes matching every dollar of guest and employee donations to PADF.
On Tuesday, the American Red Cross announced it will receive financial donations to help the people affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.
People interested in donating can do so by any of these two ways:
Check: PO Box 9021067 San Juan, PR 00902-1067
Credit Card: call 787-758-8150 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All people interested in sending a check must include the following in the memo section: Victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas or Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, the American Red Cross said.
The donations — which enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond and help people recover from this crisis — will be sent to the Bahamas Red Cross, the nonprofit said.