An aerial photography taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense on September 6, 2017 shows the damage of Hurricane Irma, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. (Photo credit: GERBEN VAN ES/AFP/Getty Images)
A NAN FIRST
By NAN Business Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Sept. 8, 2017: As Hurricane Irma left billions in estimated damages across several Caribbean islands this week, hundreds are turning to the world’s largest social fundraising platform to raise money to help assist or rebuild.
Over 1,300 campaigns have been started on GoFundMe, to raise money for various islands. So far, the volunteer organization, St. John Rescue, Inc., of St. John in the US Virgin Islands has raised US $17,835.
Two groups out of the UK are also raising funds to Help Barbuda and Anguilla.
Ruth Bolton of Badwell Ash, England has already raised £6,194 of her £5,000 goal to help secure a satellite phone to help those cut off from the outside world in Barbuda while Teresa Brooks of Stratford, England has raised £2,373 to help fund critical supplies, care supplies, construction and food supplies to the people of Anguilla.
Delaware-based company Axxess Marine is raising money to help the St. Maarten Red Cross and has so far raised US $5,850.
John P. Wheatley of Virgin Islands United of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands has raised $3,435 so far to help St. Thomas, which was also impacted by Irma while Jehrel K. Williams, a USVI resident living in Miami has raised $1,815 to also help USVI areas impacted by the category 5 storm.
The GoFundMe campaigns come as the Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross began appealing for donations to help those immediately impacted by the storm. To donate, log on to abredcross/disaster
