It’s time to give back to the BVI

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

They are no doubt a little overwhelmed as is normal. Best thing in this sort of situation is pick one organization and volunteer. I would contact someone outside the zone. Voyage Charters office in Annapolis or Voyage Yachts directly in Capetown(?). Make your offer.

My belief is that they would take care of lodging food and staying in touch for a dedicated VOLUNTEER as soon as those things are possible on Tortola. If you can show that Voyage formally accepted your offer to help I'll throw in the air miles for a round trip ticket.

They might even take up your help starting remotely so maybe offer that as well. Have some samples of your work to show so they understand your capabilities and tell them you have already secured donated air fare.

Speaking personally, I could swing my own airfare, thanks. Maybe there's somebody else who could go if they had such an offer.

I (and I suspect many others) would be interested in finding out more about how they could help, besides donations of course. When there's such devastation, I do wonder how helpful it would be for a bunch of well-meaning but unorganized 1st-worlders to just drop in. It would be great if we could find out some specifics and post them here in CF.

I wonder if Sir Branson wouldn't consider providing a relief flight from FLL to Beef Island to transport volunteers who want to help the BVIs. My understanding is that he in fact is the owner of a number of airplanes.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Richard has considered that.

[TonyNA]

I was planning to sail to the BVI this fall. Now I will have a higher purpose this time. Would be great if those with time, tools and skills that sail south for the winter can connect and possibly put together a "Carib Work Rally" or something like that. Our friends to the south will need lots of help for a long time before things are even close to normal again.

[Cherod]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Speaking personally, I could swing my own airfare, thanks. Maybe there's somebody else who could go if they had such an offer.

I (and I suspect many others) would be interested in finding out more about how they could help, besides donations of course. When there's such devastation, I do wonder how helpful it would be for a bunch of well-meaning but unorganized 1st-worlders to just drop in. It would be great if we could find out some specifics and post them here in CF.



I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Richard has considered that.

Well considering and actually doing are two different things , I hope he does do something to help , a sizeable portion of his 5 billion US $ personal would just about rebuild the whole island ,, if he saw fit .

[Lake-Effect]

Just a note that organized help is starting to arrive as we speak. For example, Canada sent 95 electricians to the Turks & Caicos. Apparently, even in this dire situation, there's a bit of red tape, both for letting workers in and flying tourists out. I've also read that Cuba has sent some 750 doctors and medical workers to the harder-hit islands. I'm sure that there are many similar examples of aid from other countries.

The way most of these stories go, there's usually a big initial response to epic disasters, but 6+ months down the road, when the storms are old news, you often hear how aid has mostly dried up, yet the hard work of rebuilding has barely started. That will be the real test of the will to help the afflicted islands. As Sir Richard has mentioned, the area needs a sort of "Marshall plan" to get back on their feet.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Cherod

Well considering and actually doing are two different things , I hope he does do something to help , a sizeable portion of his 5 billion US $ personal would just about rebuild the whole island ,, if he saw fit .

If the earlier report of the zero expense fund is confirmed he's already given major support !!!

Confident donors is job one. He IS doing the work of a modern day Knight.

He can do the most by setting conditions for others to help. Covering expenses means he's putting in 5-10% of the fund. The other way to look at this move is he just leveraged the impact of his financial contribution by 10X by engaging others.

If Sir Branson threw in a weekly free flight to support "Carib Work Rally" then his impact continues to expand through others. I do have it on good information that he owns a number of airplanes.

Tony - I really like that title "Carib Work Rally" since the boat rally folks truly understand the dream of the Virgin Islands maybe some of them adjust their plans this year.

Perhaps all of this together puts a lasting social fabric in place to respond to these events. Blindly dumping his fortune at it would only help as a one time shot. And then what?

Unfortunately we must expect increasing water-heat events until we figure out how to cool the oceans and/or re-accelerate the jet stream.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Speaking personally, I could swing my own airfare, thanks. Maybe there's somebody else who could go if they had such an offer.

I (and I suspect many others) would be interested in finding out more about how they could help, besides donations of course. When there's such devastation, I do wonder how helpful it would be for a bunch of well-meaning but unorganized 1st-worlders to just drop in. It would be great if we could find out some specifics and post them here in CF.



I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Richard has considered that.

Of course on your own airfare. Would be glad to help someone else who was formally accepted to go per your last two sentences above.

[Cherod]

The personal wealth of a few " celebrities " who enjoy the caribean islands , mick jagger , 360 million , opra Winfrey , 3 bill , trump , 3 nil , Branson 3 bill , ( there are many others ) If they want to encourage ordinary people to get involved / donate perhaps they can lead by example , alone they could rebuild the whole area , now that really would be being a " knight " in the true sense . I wait to be impressed