The Consulate General of Antigua and Barbuda has launched an official GoFundMe page to help alleviate some of the terrible suffering caused by Hurricane Irma.
CalvinAyre.com urges everyone to visit the official GoFundMe page and make a donation, and to spread the word to encourage others to give.
It’s important to recognize that, unlike the region’s other islands that suffered Irma’s full fury, Barbuda has no major European power behind it to bail it out, and thus must rely entirely on the generosity of individuals to get back on its feet.
Barbuda was devastated last week by Irma’s Category 5 fury, leaving its 1,800 residents essentially homeless after 95% of the island’s structures were flattened. The island is currently deserted, as the government of Antigua and Barbuda evacuated all residents to Antigua as Irma’s followup, Hurricane Jose, bore down on the island , threatening even more destruction.
When the storms finally pass, the cost of restoring Barbuda to some level of normalcy will be staggering. Numerous GoFundMe pages have been launched to assist Barbuda’s homeless but the government wants the world to know that there is an official page to which people can contribute with the certainty that the relief will get to the people who need it.
The Official Barbuda Relief Fund page is managed by the Consulate General of Antigua and Barbuda in Miami. The page has set a fundraising goal of $1m, and all funds raised will be put toward immediate relief, including food, water, medicine, baby formula, clothing and building materials.
And remember – the Calvin Ayre Foundation has pledged to match all online gambling industry donations to Barbuda’s relief efforts up to $1m. This is in addition to the $1m that Calvin Ayre has already personally pledged to the relief effort. So remember to forward a copy of your donation receipt to [email protected] and make your donation count twice.
