Companies donate to Red Cross
Today, the Belize Red Cross received a generous donation of ten thousand dollars to assist that organisation in its hurricane Iris Relief efforts. Since October eighth, Red Cross branches have been working hard in the south helping those people who were affected by the storm. The financial gift, which included two separate cheques of five thousand dollars each, was given by the I.B.C. Registry of Belize and IMMARBE, the International Merchant Shipping Registry of Belize. According to I.B.C.’s managing director, Lourdes Haywood Bogaerts, while these businesses deal primarily with foreigners, they remain very much committed to the welfare of Belizeans.
Lourdes Haywood Bogaerts, Managing Director, I.B.C.
“I the past we have made other donations, but we haven’t said anything. This time, I think it’s our obligation to the community to know that as a offshore industry, or as part of the offshore industry, we’re also interested in the local happenings of Belize.”
Jacqueline Woods,
“How will the money be used?”
Audrey Courtenay, Project Manager, Hurricane Iris Relief
“Mostly to help those who were affected in the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. Shelters, construction materials and other needs, because as I understand and our assessment tells us, those people have lost just about everything. So, depending on what other organisations are doing, we’ll be co-ordinating with them and try and stretch this money as far as possible.”
Jacqueline Woods,
“Since the passage of Hurricane Iris, Red Cross has really been working hard. How has the recovery efforts been?”
Audrey Courtenay
“Going I think very well if I may say so. The Toledo Red Cross Branch has been an excellent team. They have been working very hard, very organised and working with other organisations in that area. Stann Creek, it’s been a little bit more difficult for us because up to now, we have not had a building in that district, an operation centre. Hopefully, we will have one by next year this time.”
Two cheques valued at seven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven dollars each, were also presented today to the Belize Red Cross and NEMO. The money represented the proceeds from last month’s One Love Concert, a collaboration between Love FM, the Belize City Council, the Mayor’s Association and Bowen and Bowen.
This afternoon the Red Cross also received a cheque for one thousand dollars from Channel 5. The funds comprised ten dollars for each of one hundred tapes of News 5’s Hurricane Iris coverage sold to the public. All those viewers who purchased the tapes are thanked for their generosity and those who have not are reminded that the tapes are still on sale and ten dollars from each purchase will continue to go to the Red Cross relief efforts.
