The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

HUGH Campbell Primary School received a generous cash donation yesterday from the Friends of the Bahamas Turks and Caicos Islands group to assist hurricane restorations efforts at that school.

Sonia "Omega" Simmons, a Grand Bahama resident who has relocated to Turks and Caicos, presented a cheque for $11,000 to Principal Lilly Moxey for the purchase of two smart boards for the institution.

Hugh Campbell sustained severe flood and roof damage during Dorian in early September. There was up to four to five feet of water in classrooms as a result of storm surge.

During a special assembly at the school, Ms Simmons said that the group, which consists of eight persons, wanted to assist in some way to the relief efforts on Grand Bahama.

"After the passing of Dorian, a few of us got together to try figure out what we wanted to do; we knew that initial relief would come to GB and Abaco by way of things like food items and clothing, but we wanted to wait and see what we would do that no one else was doing," she explained.

The group initially reached out to the Bartlett Hill Primary School in Eight Mile Rock where Principal Deneika Martin told them about Hugh Campbell Primary.

Ms Martin told the group that she would much rather them help that school which was much worse off than her school.

Ms Simmons contacted Principal Moxey and asked her to provide a wish list of what the school needed.

"We told her we would do what we could to raise funds to help her and looking at the school you can see the needs are great," she said.

Ms Moxey, she said, was most keen on replacing the Promethean boards which were destroyed during the storm.

"She was trying to replace three in total and her request was for us to raise funds for one of the boards, and we are pleased to be able to give her a cheque for $11,000 to replace two boards here," she said.

Ms Simmons said the group works in conjunction with the Armory Company, in Freeport, which provided them with a quote for the cost of two smart boards.

"We were extremely excited to be able to do this as our team was on the ground hustling and gathering donations to be able to make this presentation today which we hope will be a blessing to them," she said.