Private jet, yacht charters join relief efforts
With vital emergency supplies, food and medicine still not reaching countless hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and other stricken Caribbean islands, private air and yacht charters are stepping in to render aid.
Several relief missions in recent days have departed from South Florida airports and marinas bound for Caribbean islands decimated by hurricanes Maria and Irma — and more are on the way.
Early Saturday, two private planes are set to depart from National Jets at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport carrying 100 water purification systems and satellite phones for delivery to residents in hard-toreach communities on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
The charters are organized by the San Francisco-based family foundation of Puerto Rican-born private equity investor Orlando Bravo. The foundation has committed up to $10 million to sponsor hurricane relief efforts in the U.S. territory.
The purification systems will provide nearly 10,000 people with long-term access to potable water, while the satellite phones will help provide communications for isolated municipalities, the foundation said.
“There will hopefully be significant federal aid coming to the island,” said Orlando Bravo, in a statement. “But centralized efforts, no matter how large and wellcoordinated, still leave gaps.”
On Thursday, another private jet departed the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport for San Juan loaded with nearly 2,000 pounds of food, medicine and other emergency supplies.
That relief trip was organized by Stronger & Better Together, a grassroots campaign of local businesses and residents led by John Tolbert, president of the Boca Raton Resort & Club and Boca Raton resident Tania Collazo, a native Puerto Rican.
Tolbert and Collazo solicited and received support from businesses including Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing Group and Delray Medical Center. The sponsors set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations for additional hurricane recovery efforts.
“It’s a long road to recovery,” Tolbert said Friday after returning from the trip. “We’re planning to send another plane down next weekend.”
Tolbert, who has maintained business interests in Puerto Rico since 1990, said a critical component to the island’s recovery will be getting community stores, minimarkets and gas stations reopened.
Pinnacle CEO Peter Gary, who flew on the mission trip, said he was shocked by the devastation and despair he saw.
Some residents he met were worried about having access to food to feed their families or not having power to keep dialysis machines working.
“I don’t think people realize just how much devastation is down there,” Gary said. “The people are in desperate need but there’s so much red tape.”
Late Tuesday, a charter flight organized by the Eagles Wings Foundation arrived at Palm Beach International Airport from San Juan with several elderly and at-