By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Oct. 10. 2016: The Washington Redskins is home to two Haitian-American players but when its owners wanted to help victims of Hurricane Matthew, a planeload of supplies was sent to the Bahamas – not Haiti.
Sure The Bahamas has suffered damage and flooding after being hit by Hurricane Matthew, but Haiti has suffered a worst fate than any other location that came under face-to-face with the ire of the storm. There are reports that almost 1,000 people are dead in Haiti and 90 percent of the southern Haiti destroyed after a category four hurricane slammed into it on Tues. Oct. 4, 2016.
Yet , NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and his wife, Tanya, sent a plane full of supplies to the Bahamas.
Bahamas Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe for his part issued a statement after supplies arrived on Saturday thanking the Redskins and especially owners Daniel and Tanya Snyder.
“It is our hope that other organizations will follow the example set by the Redskins. I think it is safe to say that the Redskins organization has gained even more Bahamian fans this football season,” the statement added.
Hurricane Matthew hit the Bahamas on Thurs. Oct. 6, 2016 as a category three storm causing flooding, power outages and property damage but no deaths.
Meanwhile, Redskins’ Pierre Garcon, a wide receiver for the team, and Ricky Jean Francois, a defensive end for the team – were born in the US to Haitian immigrant parents. They for their part have taken to social media to issue messages of support for Haiti.
Francois said he is “praying for Haiti” and also used his Twitter to slam the Red Cross for raising $488 million for Haiti and only building six homes. “… and yet there is no uproar about this,” he tweeted.
This as Haiti’s counsel general to New York insisted that drop- off locations have been set up in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island and are accepting medical supplies, non-perishable food, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, blankets, aqua tabs for water purification, clothes, and construction items such as: nails, sheet metal, and tools .
For a complete listing and more information, call the Haiti NY Consulate at (212) 697-9767.
