PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, which ravaged through the Bahamas earlier this month, the five Rotary Clubs in St. Maarten/St. Martin, the Rotary Club of Anguilla and the Rotary Club of St. Barth’s have combined their efforts to provide much needed relief to those affected, specifically in the Northern Bahama islands.
Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas on September 1 as a Category 5 hurricane packing winds up to 185 mph. The storm which pounded the islands for more than a day left the Abaco islands and Grand Bahama completely devastated, with over 70,000 individuals displaced, thousands still missing and the death toll which continues to rise.
The islands of St. Barth’s, St. Maarten/St. Martin and Anguilla know all too well the devastation that a Category 5 hurricane can inflict on an island, as our islands went through a much similar experience in 2017, with the devastation of Hurricane Irma. In our moment of despair, our fellow Rotarian brothers and sisters in the Bahamas stood with us and provided much needed support to those affected in our region, and likewise in their time of despair, we will stand with our Rotarian family in the Bahamas.
The Rotary Clubs of St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barth’s and Anguilla held several meetings to coordinate relief efforts to aid the Bahamas. All clubs have agreed that the most efficient way to provide relief to those affected in the Bahamas would be to provide monetary contributions to the Rotary Disaster Relief Fund, established in the Bahamas to directly support the local relief and recovery efforts.
The Rotary Clubs have thus far contributed $8,650 to the Disaster Relief Fund in the Bahamas from fellow Rotarians. In the coming weeks the Rotary Clubs in St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barth’s and Anguilla intends to host various fund-raising efforts including donation boxes at various supermarkets, restaurants, and businesses as well as other fundraising efforts. Additional details of the Clubs fund raising efforts will follow in as soon as they are finalized.
The Rotary Clubs of St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barth’s and Anguilla would like to express their sincere gratitude to the general public, who have supported their various projects and initiatives locally. We are now calling on the people in our region to stand with Rotary, one of the world’s most trusted charity organizations, and support us in our humanitarian efforts.
For more information about any of the Rotary Clubs in St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barth’s and Anguilla, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com.
