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TO CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANES NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 22, 2004) - Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and Celebrity Cruises, which operate cruise services to several Caribbean states, have contributed over US$1,500,000 to Caribbean countries affected by hurricanes this season. The two lines are donating US$1,250,000 in cash to be distributed among The Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Grenada, said Horace C. Hord, Jr., the cruise company’s regional vice president of government and community relations for the Eastern Caribbean. US$50,000 of these funds is for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Relief Fund, set up to provide monetary assistance to impacted member states. The lines will also donate US$15,000 of these funds to the Caribbean Hotel Association Foundation to be used for children impacted by the hurricanes. CHA and the two lines will jointly determine how these funds are disbursed. Mr. Hord added that an additional US$300,000 has been earmarked for the Caribbean in relief supplies to include water, food and tools. "The Caribbean region is a real value to Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises and it is fitting that we contribute as best we can to assist the countries affected by the hurricanes," Mr. Hord said. As the extent of the damage caused by the hurricanes became clearer, CTO began talks with its Allied members and partners, encouraging them to come to the aid of affected countries. RCI and Celebrity Cruises were among the first to promise assistance. In addition to the financial donations, both of the lines are working with various governments to allocate crew resources for infrastructure cleanup. The lines intend to continue their off-ship efforts over the next several weeks. "On behalf of our member countries, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for their charitable donation during this time of need for Caribbean nations that have been affected by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan and Tropical Storm Jeanne," said Jean S. Holder, secretary general of CTO. CTO, CHA and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) are also collaborating to help generate assistance for regional states that have sustained damage from the two hurricanes and Tropical Storm Jeanne.
Accounts have been established in the United States and the United Kingdom to which donations can be made. In the US, cheques may be written to the Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief Fund and sent to the CTO's New York office located at 80 Broad Street, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA. Funds can be transferred directly to the Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief Fund, JP Morgan Chase Bank, 401 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017. The Account number is 134-0821672-65 and the routing number is 021000021. In the UK, donations may be made to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Relief Fund, Barclays Bank, Belgravia and Knightsbridge Business centre,. The account number is 70742155. For more information on the Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief Fund, please visit www.onecaribbean.org and click on "2004 Hurricane Information" icon.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of more than 30 governments and a myriad of private sector companies. The CTO’s mission is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and information technology, and sustainable development. For more information, please contact CTO Headquarters at One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St. Michael, Barbados; tel: (246) 427-5242; fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: ctobar@caribsurf.com. CTO's New York office is located at 80 Broad Street, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA; tel: (212) 635-9530; fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: get2cto@dorsai.org. CTO's London office is located at 22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey. TW9 1BP; Tel: 208-948-0057; fax 208-948-0067 ; E-mail: ctolondon@caribtourism.com. CTO Canada can be reached at 77 High Park Blvd., Unit 1, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6R 1M9; tel: (416) 531-3272; fax: (416) 537-1975; E-mail: abrobyn@caribtourism.com. Visit CTO on the web at www.doitcaribbean.com and www.onecaribbean.org. |
