Kicking for a Cause: Friars For ____ Hosts Charity Kickball Event

by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019

Campus

Various clubs supported the fundraising efforts. Brianna Colletti ’21/THECOWL

by Kelly Martella ’21

News Staff

On Sunday, November 17, many clubs on campus came together for some friendly competition at Glay Field. Providence College’s “Big Five” — Board of Programmers (BOP), Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA), Friars Club, Student Congress, and Campus Ministry—played in a kickball tournament to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.

The afternoon was full of music, food, and some friendly competition. In the end, Friars Club was the big winner of the kickball tournament, beating Student Congress with a score of six to five in an exciting final game.

Students who could not make the event were still able to be involved by purchasing raffle tickets. The six prize packages included LaSalle gift cards, restaurant vouchers, and “Friars for Bahamas” t-shirts.

The event was sponsored by both the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) and the Friars For ___ club. Friars For ___ raises money and awareness for a variety of causes and encourages students to “fill in the blank” with causes that they want to support. The club is only in its second year at PC, but has already had great success. In the past, they have sponsored events for causes like Operation Christmas Child, Puerto Rico, and PAWS.

Sunday’s event raised funds for the Bahamas in response to Hurricane Dorian. In August of 2019, the islands of the Bahamas were devastated by the category-five storm. The money raised from the event will be going to Samaritan’s Purse, a worldwide charitable organization.

Friars For ___ executive member Adriana Santos ’21 called the event “a huge success.” The event raised over $750, which the club is excited to give directly to those in need in the Bahamas. “It will all go to [Samaritan’s Purse],” said Santos. “They have a mobile site right in the Bahamas and are providing aid to those affected.” The charity has been providing much-needed services to the devastated areas. The charity explains on their website that the mobile facility “is now operating out of Emergency Field Hospital in Freeport on Grand Bahama, performing lifesaving surgeries and otherwise treating patients for a variety of injuries and illnesses.” They have served thousands of patients in the two months since opening.

The Friar community came together to help those in need in the Bahamas, and Friars For ____will surely look to support other communities in the future. Contact the Friars For ____ club with any suggestions of causes you would like to support.

Bursting the PC Bubble: Devastating Destruction Caused by Hurricane Dorian

by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019

National and Global News

The center of the storm began around the Bahamas and Great Abaco.

by Maura Campbell ’22

News Staff

In the weeks before its landfall, Hurricane Dorian had been predicted to cause large amounts of damage to the Bahamas and areas of the southeastern United States.

Its nature as a slow-moving hurricane created the potential for huge destruction, as it was predicted to remain in certain areas for hours and even days at a time.

A dozen counties in Florida declared mandatory evacuation ahead of the storm, as well as several counties in Georgia and South Carolina.

Although only a small section of the Bahamas had been predicted to be affected by Hurricane Dorian, residents were urged to evacuate their homes and gather in hurricane shelters scattered across the islands.

At the time of its landfall in the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian was a Category 5 storm—the highest category hurricane and the strongest hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas—and was expected to produce catastrophic damage. The hurricane, as predicted, moved slowly over the Bahamas and battered the islands for 51 hours.

Since Hurricane Dorian’s landfall on Sunday, September 1, the official death toll has risen to 50 while 25,000 people have been registered as missing.

Approximately 70,000 people have been left homeless on the northern islands of the Bahamas, particularly on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands.

The Bahamian financial services industry has stated that this devastation is a “humanitarian crisis,” and global relief agencies have begun the process of sending aid.

Several hours later, on Sept. 2, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the United States on the Florida coast. By this time, its strength had sharply declined from 185 mph winds to 60 mph winds, changing its classification to a tropical storm.

According to the National Weather Service, major beach erosion occurred at Flagler Beach and Vero Beach, on the eastern coast of Florida. In South Carolina and Georgia, residents continue to deal with flooding and damages caused by Hurricane Dorian.

As the storm moved north, it continued to affect coastlines with problems such as downed trees and downed power lines, as far north as Halifax, Canada.

In the past week, the U.S. State Department has released a statement in response to the destruction in the Bahamas, including the following pledge to provide aid:

“The U.S. government is working in partnership with the Government of The Bahamas, including the National Emergency Management Authority, to deliver emergency supplies to address the immediate needs in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.”

It has also reiterated its goal of “providing humanitarian assistance, search and rescue operations, and other disaster response measures as well as assisting U.S. citizens in the affected areas” in Dorian’s aftermath.

Additionally, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has sent in its Disaster Assistance Response Team “to coordinate the U.S. response and provide technical support to the National Emergency Management Authority, which is managing the overall relief effort.”

Several interest groups have also pledged to send aid and assist the people affected by Hurricane Dorian in the rebuilding process. Global organizations such as the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Project Hope, Americares, and Habitat for Humanity are accepting donations and volunteers to help provide Bahamians with medical care, clothing, food, housing, and other necessities.

World Central Kitchen has dedicated itsef to providing food to the most affected islands, and has already provided 100,000 meals for people in need after the hurricane.

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency has instructions posted on how to donate money directly to the Bahamian government in their recovery efforts. On GoFundMe, there are several verified campaigns raising money for hurricane relief in the Bahamas, the most notable of which is HeadKnowles Hurricane Relief, an organization dedicated to providing disaster relief.

Hurricane Dorian has been a devastating natural disaster for thousands of people in the Bahamas. Relief organizations, donations, volunteer efforts, and global solidarity and work are in full effect towards helping those affected by Dorian.