Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat owner, wife to give $1M in aid to Bahamas
Micky, Madeleine Arison make pledge as part of $2 million effort
MIAMI – Miami Heat Managing General Partner Micky Arison, along with wife Madeleine, has pledged $1 million in funding and in-kind support for relief efforts in The Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.
The pledge from Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation matches a similar $1 million donation from the Carnival Foundation, the cruise corporation’s philanthropic arm.
The donation is the latest from the Arisons in the wake of major storms, including for relief efforts of previous South Florida storms.
“We are fully committed to supporting the critical relief and recovery efforts already underway for The Bahamas, and we are working closely with officials and affected communities to identify the needs for support and assistance,” Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, said in a statement. “Our company has always been closely tied to The Bahamas with a rich history spanning many years, so it’s heartbreaking to see the impact of Hurricane Dorian, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of The Bahamas.
“We have long admired the unyielding spirit of the Bahamian people and have no doubt they will overcome, rebuild and recover, and we look forward to supporting their efforts.”
Micky Arison is chairman of Carnival Corp.
The Heat are also preparing relief packages as part of the effort.
According to a release from Carnival, “A portion of the combined pledge will immediately go to support efforts being managed by Direct Relief, an international humanitarian organization that provides critical medications and supplies during emergency situations. Direct Relief is currently assembling and delivering requested medical aid and additional emergency medical caches with first-aid supplies to the affected areas in The Bahamas.”
The release from the company added that Carnival Corporation and its brands “are working together with local officials, community leaders and key relief and recovery organizations to identify the most timely and urgent relief needs and immediate allocations for additional funds and support.”
In addition, Carnival on Wednesday announced an effort to collect and deliver food and supplies donated in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties for the people of The Bahamas, through a partnership with Tropical Shipping and The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The effort, funded by Carnival Corporation and Tropical Shipping, will work in partnership with NEMA to provide immediate assistance to the people of the Bahamas where it is most needed.