Atlantis, Paradise Island and the Mid-American Conference today each presented cheques in the amount of $50,000 to The Bahamas Red Cross to assist with disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. The Mid-American Conference (MAC) made its donation through Atlantis’ YouCaring.com campaign that was launched immediately following the passage of Hurricane Matthew. The compassionate campaign encourages guests and friends of the resort to contribute aid to the country’s hurricane relief efforts. Atlantis committed to matching donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000 through the month of October.
Hearing about the campaign, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the MAC, graciously contributed the sizeable donation. Dr. Steinbrecher, who is no stranger to The Bahamas through his involvement with college football’s Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl, said of the donation, “I, along with our membership, have come to develop a deep love for the people of The Bahamas and for the fine staff at Atlantis, Paradise Island. It’s one of the unique and special relationships in all of intercollegiate athletics and it is our way of giving back to the country.”
Howard C. Karawan, President and Managing Director for Atlantis noted that even though the resort itself only sustained minimal damage as a result of the early October storm, many of the resort’s near 8,000 team members were seriously impacted. The MAC’s generosity, he said, has greatly helped the efforts to bring relief to so many in need. “Atlantis has always been emotionally attached to the people of The Bahamas and we feel blessed to be part of this community. Our hearts go out to everyone in the country who has been impacted by this devastation. We graciously thank Dr. Steinbrecher and the Mid-American Conference for benevolently answering the call to assist. We know that Mr. Gomez and The Bahamas Red Cross will put this donation of $100,000 to immediate good use to assist the members of our community in need.”
Bahamas Red Cross President Craig ‘Tony’ Gomez expressed appreciation on behalf of the humanitarian organization. “The Red Cross is grateful for the continued partnership with Atlantis and equally as appreciative for the generous donation from MAC. This donation will go a long way in helping to bring much needed relief to those persons who are still today, weeks later, living with the negative impacts of Hurricane Matthew.”
The deadline for Atlantis’ YouCaring campaign ends today, October 31st, and the resort will again be making another sizable donation to The Bahamas Red Cross in the coming weeks. Atlantis has also donated ten container trailers of furniture to the Red Cross for disbursement to Freeport and the other family islands as well as a container of hurricane supplies inclusive of mats, pillows and blankets. In an effort to offer additional support for employees, the resort housed several families who were left displaced and continues to encourage all staff to use the established employee assistance hotline for counseling.
Atlantis President & Managing Director Howard C. Karawan, accompanied by resort Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Ed Fields and Mid-American Conference (MAC) Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, presented cheques totaling $100,000 to The Bahamas Red Cross President Craig Tony Gomez. The MAC’s donation of $50,000 is a result of an appeal to guests and social media fans by the resort to help with relief efforts following Hurricane Matthew. Atlantis committed to matching donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000 until October 31. Appreciative of the gesture, Gomez said The Red Cross is grateful for the partnership with Atlantis and the donation by the MAC will go a long way in helping to bring relief to those persons impacted by the ravages of Hurricane Matthew.
Pictured L-R: Caroline Turnquest, Director General Bahamas Red Cross, Howard C. Karawan, President & Managing Director Atlantis Paradise Island, Craig “Tony” Gomez, President Bahamas Red Cross, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, Dr. Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Anne Steinbrecher, Ed Fields, SVP Public Affairs, Atlantis Paradise Island.
Source: Atlantis
