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Bacardi donates $1m to Hurricane Dorian relief
Rum maker Bacardi has donated US$1 million to support disaster relief following the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian on The Bahamas.
Bacardi produced rum in The Bahamas for nearly 50 years
Category five Hurricane Dorian battered the archipelago between Sunday and Tuesday, severely damaging or destroying an estimated 45% of homes on Grand Bahama and Abacos, according to the Red Cross. Officials, meanwhile, have warned that the death count will be “staggering”.
Bacardi will collaborate with non-profits and the Bahamian government to offer “immediate and long-term” assistance to local relief agencies. The company has also asked its employees to donate items to those affected by the disaster and is seeking additional cash donations.
Puerto Rico-based Bacardi moved to The Bahamas in the early 1960s following the Cuban revolution, when the family firm’s assets were confiscated. The company produced its rum in the archipelago for almost 50 years.
Bacardi no longer has facilities in The Bahamas, but has a “long-standing relationship with the Bahamian people”.
“We have never forgotten the incredible kindness of the Bahamian people and the important role they played in the history of our company,” said Facundo L Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited.
“We hope in a small way to contribute to the rebuilding of this great country in the face of this tragedy just as The Bahamas helped Bacardi rebuild nearly 60 years ago.”
In 2017, Bacardi donated US$3m to aid relief and recovery efforts in its home of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. The damage across the Caribbean island was widespread, but Casa Bacardi needed only minor repairs.