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Chris Goodier

March 2010 Issue

Boaters in Caribbean Help Haiti after January 2010 Earthquake

When the earth stopped shaking on Tuesday afternoon, January 12, the critical needs of the Haitian people resonated throughout the Caribbean's nautical community, where many have lived through aftereffects of far less deadly natural disasters. Individuals, businesses, yacht clubs and marinas all sprung into action, some to send aid and others to raise funds. These are just a few examples we heard about during the first week: Carmen Partridge, a boater on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, listened to the newsshortly after the disaster hit and thought, "I have to do something about this.

I

have to do what I can." She hit the ground running, found a plane and, 60 hourslater, sent 12 medical professionals and more than 2500 pounds of supplies into Port au Prince. The USVI team brought order to the chaos at the Haitian Community Hospital, Freres, and its work, now known as USVI Haitian Relief, is ongoing. www.usvihaitianrelief.org "There is no snow in the Virgin Islands but there sure was a snowball," said Partridge. "I started pushing it, and everyone I passed wanted to add to it. People were just looking for an opportunity to help." Meanwhile, within two days of the earthquake, the Rotary Clubs of the BVI, which count many boaters among their members, re-established their existing links with theRotary Clubs in Haiti and began to collect cash donations.

The BVI Clubs, which haveworked closely in the past with sailor and singer Michael "Beans" Gardner to support a school at Ile La Vache, Haiti, immediately pledged $25,000 to start the effort. Also two days after the disaster hit, sailor Don Weiss departed St. Thomas for Haiti to transport NBC and CBS reporters and perform a humanitarian mission, using his 82'catamaran Catbird which is based on the island for the charter season.

Weiss postedinformation online encouraging other boaters to get involved through OceansWatch, an international not-for-profit conservation organization that works with sailors, divers and scientists. OceansWatch is helping coordinate efforts to have aid supplies reach Haiti by yacht, and in late January had organized a fleet of 15 yachts from Florida and the Caribbean to go into Haiti's small islands and coastal villages with supplies and medical teams. The group's site listed this contact email for boaters to use if they can help: donna@oceanswatch.org. "We have support now from the Coast Guard to bringin supplies by boat.

The info email address puts the boats' information directly onour databases," said OceansWatch Director Donna Lange. "For contact with field coordination and packets to get involved, they can email me, donna@donnalange.org," Lange said. Sequoia Sun, the Executive Director of OceansWatch in North American, was planning to be on the first flotilla. "We need boats and supplies," said Lange. "We are also looking to get supplies to the DR, Bahamas and Jamaica as they are closer. Once boats get to Haiti, they can resupply quicker from these points and return to Haiti."

A yacht charter company began collecting money from customers. Sylvia Driver,Director of Horizon Yacht Charters BVI began encouraging charterers and their guests to make donations of US $20. Horizon will deliver the donations they collect to the local Red Cross fund for earthquake victims - and match each one with an equal amount. From January 16 to the 23rd, St. Maarten Yacht Club members donated tinned food, clothing, towels, sheets, buckets and cash for the Red Cross and the St. Maarten Haitian Relief Fund 2010. The staff at the club's kitchen donated 50 cents on each bar and kitchen order filled on the Saturday following the earthquake to be added to the collection. Yacht Haven Grande marina on St. Thomas held a fundraiser for Haiti relief, a free concert and raffle, on Saturday, January 23 to benefit the American Red Cross andraised $37,000.

Numerous marina-based companies and individuals donated services fora raffle and more than 2,000 people attended. "It was a truly wonderful and inspiring event for a cause close to all our hearts," said Kenny Jones, executive vice president, Marina Operations for Island Global Yachting, parent company of the marina. The 894-foot USNS Comfort was part of our nautical community last year, visiting Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Antigua. The ship has one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States, 12 operating rooms and a bed capacity of 1,000. (TL and Harriet Linskey, boaters who operate the literacy group Hands across the Sea,Inc. toured the Comfort last October and met Captain James Ware.

See their websitefor more information on the Comfort: www.handsacrossthesea.net.) Captain Ware and his crew of 850 arrived at Port au Prince on January 20 and began treating the most urgent surgical patients. Big boats or small ones, clubs or companies, or simply motivated individuals - all have been united in the Caribbean this winter by a common goal - to give help to neighbors who need it. Send your stories of help for Haiti to: chrisgoodier@allatsea.net.

January 21, 2010

Good Samaritan Foundation Of Isle La Vache, Haiti 

Dear Friends and Patrons, 

Due to the recent crisis in Haiti,  we would like to bring you up to speed on our relief efforts in the British Virgin islands.  

As you know the Good Samaritan Foundation of Isle La Vache, Haiti is primarily a small group of volunteers who are dedicated to addressing the health, education and welfare needs of the under priviledged people of Isle La Vache, Haiti, a small island off the SW Coast.  Our non-profit organization is focused on bringing direct help from the donors to the recipients on this impoverished island. Let it be noted, we deduct no travel or administrative fees for our efforts in this organization.  

I would like to inform you, that I have been working diligently with our new Administrative Assistant for the GSF, Pamela Solman here in the BVI”s to initiate a timely response to the immediate needs in Isle La Vache, Haiti during this crisis. 

The current condition as we understand from Rotarian Robert Leger in Les Cayes is as follows:

Port au Prince being the capitol and major distribution point for all necessary food, medical and emergency supplies, and also the epicenter of the earthquake, has caused most relief efforts to be challenging if not impossible.

Steps have been taken with the Tortola Rotary to engage the Haitian Task Force in immediate relief. Donations of cash have been requested as the most effective means to offer assistance.  See Tortola Rotary Website.

The island of Isle La Vache is geographically distanced from major relief efforts, and they are cut off from their customary supply and demand channels for basic needs.  At the present time they are totally dependant on our donations of medicine food, water and money to buy the necessities of daily living. 

Until our supplies arrive, immediate relief can only be purchased at premium prices from supplies which already exist in the country. 

If you wish to help us in our efforts to reach out to the people of Isle La Vache, Haiti,.

Consider the following:

1). Donations of money for the cause can be sent to The Good Samaritan Foundation Of Haiti.  P.O. Box 1028 Lyons, CO 80540 

2). If you are here in the American or British Virgin Islands, donations of non perishable foods, medical supplies: hydrogen peroxide, Neosporin, gauze bandages, water purification tablets, acidophilus tablets, dysentery medicines are in great need and can be dropped off at Marina Cay.  However, please make arrangements with Michael first. 

 Also we are in GREAT need of enriched milk in powdered form for Sister Flora’s handicapped orphans. As it is the only food they can digest and is almost impossible to locate in Haiti. 

We anticipate sending our first cash relief donation via Western Union on

January 19, 2010. to Jean Joseph Phelix the Co Founder of The Good Samaritan Foundation who lives on Isle la Vache  and will see personally to the proper distribution.

www.goodsamaritanofhaiti.com.  

At present time we are organizing and appealing to all boaters everywhere, if they can sail in the direction of the South shore of Haiti to help us deliver these much needed supplies, Details about our diplomatic umbrella and customs clearance etc. can be discussed by contacting Michael Beans, captbeans86@hotmail.com  284 545-5595.   

For Stateside relief efforts: Pamela Solman  pamsolman@msn.com 303 579-7618

May God Bless You

Your generous support of this noble cause is much appreciated.

Gratefully Yours,

Michael A. Gardner

Founder and CEO

The Good Samaritan Foundation of Haiti

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