The past few weeks have been difficult for many as several natural disasters have ravaged the world. Hurricane Harvey brought destruction to Houston as several prominent members of the sports world pitched in to help relieve those affected. The most recent is Hurricane Irma, a storm passing through the Caribbean Islands and bearing down on Florida and the rest of the South East.
As the United States gets ready to deal with the aftermath of the destruction that Irma will likely bring to the country, it’s easy to forget the Caribbean islands that have already suffered through it.
That’s why Tim Duncan, the Spurs legend who was born and raised in the US Virgin Islands, penned an essay for the Players Tribune urging everyone not to forget about the small islands. In his important piece, Duncan also asks for financial support in the form of donations for the relief effort:
But here I am, talking right to you, asking you for a favor. I promise I wouldn’t be asking if it didn’t matter so much. The basketball community has already given so much to me over the years. But right now I need your attention for a couple of minutes.
Right now as I type this, the U.S. Virgin Islands — the place where I was born and where I grew up — has been badly damaged by Hurricane Irma. The people there, many of whom are old friends of mine, are suffering. Weather reports say that another Category 5 storm, Hurricane Jose, is close behind. No one knows what the place will look like when the rain stops.
Duncan has already donated $250,000 to the effort and says he will match others’ donations up to one million dollars.
More than most, Duncan has close connection to this cause, not only due to his heritage but also because he and his family survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Duncan knows that support in the form of money, food, and supplies can be incredibly useful.
Make sure you read Duncan’s whole piece and if you can donate to Duncan’s preferred source, click here.
