The Tribune

WHEN the national telethon Rebuild Bahamas kicks off live from Atlantis Imperial Ballroom on Tuesday at 6pm, volunteers staffing an 18-person VIP phone bank will stand by for five hours to take calls, thanks to phone lines provided by BTC.

The numbers to call are 323-4119 in New Providence, 242-300-9400 toll free from any of the Family Islands and toll-free from the US at 1-844-252-0176.

The telethon, which will air from 6pm to 11pm with TV stations only breaking for news, is organised to raise funds for the restoration of schools, businesses and permanent solutions to supplying clean water for islands in the southern Bahamas devastated by Hurricane Joaquin.

The telethon is a joint project of the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation. It is supported by more than a dozen sponsors and partners who are lending support, including three ministries of the government. All funds raised will be used for specific projects to bring a sense of normalcy back to the islands through basic needs and re-establishing education and commerce but with a view of designing and developing sustainable, long-term solutions.

With the programming running simultaneously on ZNS, Cable 12 and JCN, and more than a dozen acts lined up to perform, plus organisers donating their time, it is estimated that donated services for Rebuild Bahamas will exceed those of any telethon in the history of The Bahamas.