BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS several other groups and organisations across the Federation have done, the Conaree Football Club recently embarked on a drive that saw the donation of thousands of dollars in food items, clothing and toiletries being sent to Dominica to assist that country in its recovery efforts.
Weeks ago, the Caribbean island was ravaged by flood which resulted from torrential rainfall caused by Tropical Storm Erika.
So destructive were the flood waters that several individuals lost their lives, roads and buildings were destroyed and vehicles were swept away with the tide.
Public Relations Officer of the Conaree Football Club Delwayne Delaney, in an interview with SKNVibes, explained that late last week the Club was able to collect items from the Conaree community to ship to Dominica.
“Like everybody else, we felt the dire need to assist however we can with the Dominica crisis. What we decided is that it would be good of us as a club to live up to our mandate and social responsibility in giving however we can or assisting however we can.
“So we informed the community via flyers and an announcement on ZIZ that we would be collecting items. And on Thursday (Sept. 3), we went through the village with two pickup trucks and we went from house to house through the Conaree community asking for donations to help with the Dominica relief.”
Delaney said the community’s response was encouraging and resulted in the collection on 25 to 30 large garbage bags filled with items. He said corporate entity St. Kitts Bottling Company also assisted with the donation of bottled water.
“Majority of what we collected was clothes and shoes. Some shops gave canned items and dry foods such as macaroni etc. We got 10 cases of water from the Bottling Company and we received approximately 25 to 30 garbage bags of items from the community.”
Sometime during Friday evening and Saturday morning, as Delaney explained, the items were sorted through and packaged for transportation to the Sea Port.
Before the items were delivered there however, the Conaree Football Club’s Executive Committee took the decision to use funds from its account and purchase other items to supplement those which had been collected.
“On Friday evening and Saturday morning we went through the items and sorted them, packed a flatbed truck with the items and went to Ram’s Cash and Carry and the Executive, from its account, bought and donated items as well. They were mainly toiletries, because we realise that people gave mainly food and clothing items so we felt it necessary to purchase the toiletries.”
The PRO said some members of the community said they were not aware of the drive and indicated their willingness to assist if it were to be done again.
Delaney also indicated that the Football Club is awaiting word on when another vessel would be travelling to Dominica and, once that information is received, a similar drive would be done.
While a considerable amount of help was given to Dominica from the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, Delaney is encouraging those who have not done so to become a part of the relief effort, noting that “nothing is too small that it cannot be used to help our brothers and sisters…”
He informed that the boat with the items left the island yesterday (Sept. 7) and he expressed thanks to the Conaree Wesleyan Holiness Church, the Conaree Community, SOL Island Auto Conaree Football Club, St. Kitts Bottling Company and all others who provided assistance.
