Cruzan Rum contributes $500,000 to Hurricane Relief in US Virgin islands

Cruzan Rum contributes $500,000 to Hurricane Relief in US Virgin islands

St. Croix, September 18, 2017 – The Cruzan Rum Distillery, based on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, today committed $500,000 to the Fund for the Virgin Islands to support relief and recovery from Hurricane Irma in the Territory.

The donation brings more than $1.6 million in contributions by Cruzan and its corporate parents towards hurricane relief in the U.S. and its Territories.
“My family has been producing Cruzan Rum in the US Virgin Islands for generations, and we’re determined to help our friends and neighbors whose lives have been upended by this devastating hurricane,” said Gary Nelthropp, president & master distiller of Cruzan Rum. “While St. Croix was spared the worst of Irma’s wrath, our sister islands of St. Thomas and St. John took a hard hit. We’re inspired by the way Virgin Islanders have come together, including how former NBA star and St. Croix native Tim Duncan has helped raise awareness and millions of dollars for the needs of the USVI’s people, how Governor Mapp has urgently mobilized the Territory’s resources, how the Administration and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett have led from Washington. As the USVI now braces for Hurricane Maria, we hope our support will inspire others to help, as well.”

The Fund for the Virgin Islands was established by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been operating in the USVI for more than 25 years. It has supported past relief efforts in the region and is working closely with government and community providers to identify priorities and direct resources for immediate needs as well as long-term recovery efforts. For more information, please visit https://www.usvirecovery.org.