Cozumel Relief--Divers helping Divers

[drdiver1952]

Things are bad in Cozumel. It's not getting a lot of press, but here's a picture of the port off of Yahoo. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051024/ids_photos_wl/r3313028537.jpg

A lot of divemasters, boat captains are out of work. You can donate here. Anybody finds other links to donate, please post. Give what you can!!! I gave $100. I did my advanced openwater in Coz in '94 and have been back there many times. Best donation--book a trip down there when you can!!! Pay it forward folks!!!

Donate here.

http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/profiles/disaster_profilei-wilma.html

 

[TheRedHead]

The American Red Cross has not done anything yet for Cozumel:

"As of Oct. 21, 2005, the American Red Cross is closely monitoring the situation and will determine the most appropriate response based on any request for international assistance that may be issued by the affected National Societies and any guidance received from the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies (the Federation) and other International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) partners.

American Red Cross response options may include providing personnel, supplies, technical assistance or tracing services to help individuals reconnected with loved ones."

We already have posted links so people can donate to Christy's fund and to the Cozumel Red Cross directly. Donating to the international response fund is not going to assure that your dollars get to Cozumel.

 

[drdiver1952]

Thanks for the heads up on that!!! But that's a link for the International Red Cross.
Would be good to make the other links more visible--I would be happy to repost on other boards. Thanks!!!!

 

[eab]

Anybody finds other links to donate, please post.

One of the folks over on the Diver to Diver board created a donation site back when Emily hit. It's still up and running, and the need has certainly increased this past weekend.

Cozumel Relief Fund

For those of you who know Christi, she has reported that Pedro's house is completely submerged. It's all so very sad.

Eileen

 

[drdiver1952]

Thanks so much for that. I"ve put it up on a couple of other boards. It's damn sad, we all need to help out. That's what diving and divers are about!!!

 

[TheRedHead]

Here's the info about how to donate DIRECTLY to Cozumel:

How To Donate US$ Directly to Cruz Roja Cozumel

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello, everyone. I've been coordinating US donations to Xroja Cozumel for the past several months. I haven't gotten through to the leadership there today so I don't know their situation.

As the transportation of goods will be very difficult for a while, I'm only accepting money donations now.

Please make your donations through me. Independently-mailed, dollar-denominated checks will take weeks to arrive and incur unnecessary fees when deposited. Wired funds must be converted to pesos and are subject to $20-25 cable fees -- the bank, not the cause, makes out on that deal.

Please email me directly if you'd like to make a donation. I will accept almost anything: PayPal**, MasterCard, VISA, American Express, checks, cash or ACH. I have a currency-exchange brokerage account and will consolidate your donations to assure that as much money possible gets to Xroja quickly.

My email is pcpny@earthlink.net

Thank you,
Debby Bollag

**As I don't have a merchant account, I can only accept PayPal transfers from bank accounts. If you'd like to use a credit (not debit) card, please send me your phone# and I'll call you.

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I used Deb's email address above to make a donation via paypal this morning. This way we can be assured our money goes to Cozumel. You have no assurance that money donated to the International Red Cross will get to Cozumel. Although I feel very bad about the other areas in the Yucatan, I suspect that Cancun will get the lion's share of that money. Since I'm a diver and have enjoyed Cozumel many times, I want my money to go directly to Cozumel.

All the donation information was in the Cozumel forum. I think somebody should make a sticky so everyone can find it.

 

[ch0ppersrule]

One of the folks over on the Diver to Diver board created a donation site back when Emily hit. It's still up and running, and the need has certainly increased this past weekend.

Cozumel Relief Fund

For those of you who know Christi, she has reported that Pedro's house is completely submerged. It's all so very sad.

Eileen

Is this the relief fund Christi set up after the last hurricane? I think she had a paypal acct. or something like that. We are waiting for that acct. info. I am in awe everytime I look at the pictures that some people have downloaded. We always stay at the Occ. Grand. Any word on the southern or eastern ends of the island?

Melissa

 

[Martha]

Here's a quote from SadiesMom about the Cozumel Relief Fund (taken from the Cozumel forum):

"Johnoly from Scubadiving.com organized a Divers helping Divers fund during Hurricane Emily where donations were accepted through Paypal and then tranferred to Christi and distributed directly to out of work DMs, boat captains and dive workers directly affected. Although he is currently under a hurricane watch himself (he lives in FL), he has reactivated the fund to help with those affected by Hurrican Wilma - the webpage is located at www.cozumelrelief.com. This is strictly a grassroots effort of divers directly helping divers...but Christi is involved and I know that the money went to folks last time who were in desperate need and I trust both John and Christi implicitly. If you're comfortable doing donating to this fund, the money will go directly (in the form of cash) to these folks.

If you're *not* comfortable with this fund, there's also a link on the page to donate to the Mexican Red Cross for a more "traditional" donation option."

Hope everyone will find it in the heart to donate something.

 

[Otter]

I would think that in addition to the above, returning to Cozumel as a tourist as soon as practical would help return the economy to some sort of normalcy....and tip better than usual

 

[cozudiver]

The www.cozumelrelief.com fund is great. While on the island in August one of my friends was telling me that Christi found him and told him that she had money for him. Mario is a single father with an infant. He was so humbled and in awe that someone would send money to help him. This was after Emily and she wasn't anything near as disasterous as Wilma has been. The people of Cozumel really need our help. Cash for now, and our travels beginning in a month or so when they tell us that they're ready for us.

If there is someone specific that you wish to receive your donation, be sure to state who it should go to.