SMART donates $10,000 to Red Cross relief efforts
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dean, several businesses and organizations launched various fundraising efforts to assist victims. Today the proceeds of one such campaign was officially handed over to the Belize Red Cross. According to telecommunications company Smart, in just over two weeks, some nine hundred and four clients donated five dollars towards their relief fund. That money was rounded off to five thousand dollars and matched by Smart. The cash changed hands during brief ceremonies this afternoon at Smart’s headquarters in Belize City.
Marie Gomez, Customer Care and Quality Manager, SMART
“The fundraising continues for another two weeks so I’m asking our customers to continue to donate, it’s all going to the Red Cross for a worthy cause.”
“I want to thank them for contributing. We have to come together in solidarity at times like these, we never know when we will be needing help from the Corozal community.”
Janelle Chanona
“Logistically, how stuff is it to get the supplies out there?”
Karen Diaz, President, Belize Red Cross
“Pretty tough, the roads are in bad condition. We do have a bunch of volunteers that are going with us as we discussed yesterday and we will be using the opportunity to reassess the stage the villagers are at and maybe there might be some sort of building coming out of it as well, so we’ll see.”
Janelle Chanona
“Is the Red Cross still asking the public for specific types of assistance?”
Karen Diaz
“No, at this point now, we are doing reassessments which is what we do all along throughout the operation and as we go along we can readjust the needs as we find them. So at this point, I think that there may be, if people have time to donate that’s a very good thing to donate as well as funds and food items.”
According to the Red Cross, Smart’s contribution will go towards relief efforts in the villages of Sarteneja, Copperbank, Chunox. Earlier this week, Smart also donated five phones to the Red Cross to bolster coordination. The telecommunication company hopes to hand over a second cheque to the Red Cross next week Friday.
