Good music, good food and good fun combined with a big helping of community support and neighborly concern made a successful fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 14, at Hull Bay Hideaway, for the “Show Your Love to Haiti” event. A total of $15,000 was raised at the event, hosted by the Northside Sportfishing Club, St. Thomas Fishermen’s Association and Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club. It was donated to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands’ (CFVI) USVI Haitian Relief Fund.
“We are very appreciative of this donation,” said Dee Baecher-Brown, CFVI president, adding that the amount that was raised “is a nice reflection on the community and its compassion. One hundred percent of these funds will be used to support the USVI Haitian Relief effort, which is currently sending volunteer medical teams and medical supplies to Haiti."
Planes for the USVI Haitian Relief project depart regularly from St. Thomas to deliver volunteers and medical supplies in Haiti within hours of landing.
Crowds came out to the fundraiser to hear musicians Sun King, Oleik Ledee and George Berry, Mighty Whitey, C4, Becca & So High So Low, and Obsession, who all volunteered their time and jammed from 1-10 p.m.
Bar and food sales contributed to over half of the donations. Volunteers from the St. Thomas Fishermen’s Association ran the bar, with donations and discounts provided by Bellows International Ltd., Premier Wines & Spirits, Coca Cola, the Aramark Corporation, Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute, the V.I. Gamefishing Club, Betsy’s Bar, Bryson Bryan, Jeannine Mydlenski, Edwin Bryan, Winston Ledee, Ms. Prentice and Dr. David and Annette Olson. Jen’s Gourmet Café & Deli sponsored both the BBQ buffet and a special V.I.P. Valentine dinner featuring prime rib and fresh fish along with champagne or wine. Merchant’s Market, Roses Too and Forever Flowers also contributed.
Five children — Joshua LaPlace, Tyler Berry, Brianna Berry, Edwin Bryan and Adam Berry – manned the non-alcoholic Island Oasis machine for seven straight hours and made nearly $800. Two other children, Brittany Petersen and Marie Jackson, sold 50/50 raffle tickets and made additional money. A horseshoe tournament also raised funds.
Other organizers and major supporters who made the event a success were members of the Northside Sportfishing Club and V.I. Game Fishing Club, as well as Hull Bay Hideaway, Billy D’s T-shirts, Lew Henley, Kathy Gibson, Dean Barnes (photography) and the Virgin Islands Daily News.
For more information about USVI Haitian Relief, visit www.usvihaitianrelief.org.
