April 8, 2004 – The drawing for a raffle to benefit two St. Thomas fishermen who were fined in a British Virgin Islands court last fall for fishing in B.V.I. waters with an expired license will take place on Sunday morning at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Mafolie.
Sen. Lorraine Berry said in a release that the drawing for the "Show Them We Care" raffle will be held following the sunrise service at the Catholic church located atop Mafolie Hill.
Berry said she and the Northside Civic Organization, which as a not-for-profit group has handled the funds for the effort, agreed that "Easter is an ideal occasion to conduct a raffle drawing regarding the 'Show Them We Care' fund-raiser."
The raffle was established to assist Rick and Jason Berry, who were fined $11,000 and forced to forfeit their commercial fishing boat, valued $25,000, after they pleaded guilty to fishing without a valid license and registration in B.V.I. waters. (See "B.V.I. fines two fishermen $11 K and takes their boat".)
The raffle proceeds will go toward defraying "the expenses of the fishermen," James Francis, Sen. Berry's chief of staff, said on Wednesday. "This is the last of three fund-raisers to help the young people, whose business was wiped out."
Sen. Berry has stated that she is not related by marriage to the two men with the same surname as hers.
The raffle prizes to be given out on Sunday are a villa vacation on St. Barth's including airfare; a seven-day Caribbean cruise; a three-day getaway at Caneel Bay Resort; and a fishing rod and reel donated by Neptune Fishing Supply.
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