The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Children’s Home has received several generators and toys as a result of separate donations from the Miami Dolphins and the Bahamas Tourist Office in Plantation, Florida.

Nuvolari Chotoosingh, Sports Tourism Manager at the Ministry of Tourism, and a team from the tourism office in Freeport, presented the donations on behalf of both organisations at the Children’s Home on Monday.

The Miami Dolphins had visited Grand Bahama in November and saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew. The National Football League organisation had sent a number of shipments of relief items to assist residents on the island.

Mr Chotoosingh said the shipment of generators was the final shipment sent. “We were able to get things sorted out with the help of Bahamas Customs, the Defence Force and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and were finally able to distribute items to the Children’s Home this morning. This represents the completion of a donation by the Miami Dolphins,” he said.

Mr Chotoosingh also said that the Bahamas Tourist Office in Plantation had conducted a toy drive leading up to the holiday season for youngsters at the Home.

Enzy Jones, administrative assistant at the Children’s Home, said they are grateful for the donations. “We are delighted to receive generators and toys for the children for the New Year. We are very thankful to Miami Dolphins, Ministry of Tourism, and to NEMA which assisted,” she said.

Tammy Mitchell, warehouse manager of NEMA in Grand Bahama, said the items were kept safely at NEMA’s warehouse and secured until they were able to be distributed. “We have been assisting every government agency in that process, and we are finally glad to see that this step for the Children’s Home have been completed with the donation of generators and toys today,” she said.

Ms Mitchell said that NEMA has been distributing widely on the island. “Since the hurricane we have visited every home of the aged and given supplies. We visited the Children’s Home more than once, and the Boys and Girls Columbus Home,” she said. “We have also distributed materials, supplies and equipment from McLeans Town to West End on a number of occasions,” she said.