Photo Caption: Cedrica Reid (left), Marketing and Sales Manager, JN Money, and Harry “White Yardie” Gregory (right), a British-Jamaican comedian, present a symbolic cheque of $400,000 to Andrea Coley-Foster (second left), Vice Principal; and Sharon Whyte, Principal, Black River Primary School recently. The Unite to Rebuild initiative, spearheaded by Harry “White Yardie” Gregory, with support from JN Money, raised funds from a benefit comedy show to support the school’s restoration efforts following damage sustained during the passage of Hurricane Beryl.
Three schools and a boys’ home in St Elizabeth were the recent beneficiaries of part proceeds from a benefit comedy show held in the UK to support hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica. The institutions were adversely affected by Hurricane Beryl in July.
The Unite to Rebuild initiative, spearheaded by Harry ‘White Yardie’ Gregory, a British-Jamaican comedian, with support from JN Money, raised more than £26,000 from the event, which was held at Boxpark, Croydon in the United Kingdom on July 31. The funds were distributed among Jamaica, St Vincent and Union Island, all of which sustained damage during the catastrophic category four hurricane.
Of the £10,000 that was allocated to Jamaica to assist select institutions with critical repairs, Black River Infant & Primary School, White Yardie’s alma mater, received J$400,000; Parottee Basic School, J$300,000; South Starz Academy, J$400,000; and Manning’s Boys’ Home, J$300,000. In addition to donations made to the institutions, back-to-school items were distributed in affected communities in the parish.
White Yardie, a social media influencer who grew up in St Elizabeth, explained that he was motivated to support the recovery efforts in the parish because of the severity of the disaster.
“When I saw the damage that the hurricane had done to the area, it really affected me and all I could think of is how can I help. I went public on my social media platforms and spoke from my heart about the situation. The response from the community was very positive; the people came out to celebrate what I was trying to achieve with the event,” he related.
He explained that the goal was not only to raise money but also to bring awareness and inspire others in a position to help to do the same.
The fundraiser was not his first as a few years ago, he had also raised more than £12,000 for St Vincent and the Grenadines, following a major volcanic eruption.
Principal of the Black River Infant & Primary School, Sharon Whyte, welcomed the donation that helped the school to get ready for reopening.
“We lost a number of things. The whole roof went, and we got assistance in putting back the roof. We also had electrical issues. A part of that donation was put towards electrical repairs. We also did work outside because we had fallen trees, so we had to get clean-up service,” she said, pointing out that due to the extent of the damage, the reopening of the school was delayed by a week.
Horace Hines, General Manager, JN Money Services, said the fundraiser highlights the critical role that diaspora communities can play in disaster recovery.
“Giving back to our customers and supporting the communities we serve are the underlying values by which JN Money operates. We understand the deep connection that the Caribbean diaspora has with their homeland, so it was important for us to partner with White Yardie on this initiative, to channel that bond to make a real difference,” Mr Hines said.
“The contributions from individuals in the UK demonstrate how collective action can help to rebuild communities affected by a disaster. It shows that by coming together, we can rebuild not just physical structures but also restore hope and opportunity to communities in need,” he added.
Mr. Hines pointed out that JN Money, which operates some 8,000 agents and branches globally, including in the United Kingdom, was proud to be part of the Unite to Rebuild effort.
“With our extensive reach in the UK, we were able to connect individuals, making this initiative an ideal opportunity to leverage our network in support of those impacted by Hurricane Beryl. We are honoured to be part of an effort that unites people for the greater good.”
In a separate initiative, JN Money Services successfully raised approximately $1 million in August to support the restoration efforts at the New Forest Primary and Infant School. The funds were collected through donations from customers via JN Money branches in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and the Cayman Islands. JN Money and its employees also made contributions to further bolster the fundraising effort.
Additional contributions are being facilitated through the I Support Jamaica Fund by The Jamaica National Group, at www.jncayman.com.ky/beryl-recovery/. Donations can be made via JN Cayman, JN Money in the Cayman Islands, and via JN Bank ACH and RTGS transfers, international wire transfers, or by using JN Money transfer services. In-person donations are also accepted at JN Cayman, all JN Money locations in the Cayman Islands, and JN Bank branches in Jamaica.
