When earthquakes brought devastation to Venezuela in late June, the Keys stepped up to help, led by the example of several Middle and Upper Keys clubs.
Marathon Rotarian Jesus Parra and Marathon Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Samess organized the Help Venezuela Earthquake Relief Supply Drive, collecting a wide variety of food, water, baby/personal care and medical/emergency supplies that were transported through Rotary’s trusted humanitarian network to Rotary District 4370 in Caracas.
“It was massive – we had so much stuff,” Parra told the Weekly after two weeks of donations were complete and on the way to South America. “Manuela (Mobley) from the Upper Keys and I collected literally a full car from my office, and then I had more supplies on my end from Daniel, then Million Air and Coldwell – it was very successful.”
Monetary contributions poured in from those not able to donate supplies in time, which Parra turned into a trip to the mainland for a cost-effective supply shopping spree.
At the Marathon Rotary Club’s meeting on July 1, a club member volunteered to go shopping and asked if anyone wanted to contribute toward extra relief items. Before the end of the meeting, Rotarians had donated more than $1,000 for the shopping trip.
Shopping assistance was enlisted in the form of current Marathon High School Interact Club president Mylana Loza, past MHS Interact president Dakota Mertyris, and MHS graduate Cruz Keween. The trio hit the local Winn Dixie, and were given star treatment by the store’s staff as they opened up a lane specifically for Venezuela checkout.
Parra said that while local collection efforts have paused for the moment, there will likely be other opportunities for monetary donations.
“I think it will be easier to get money there so people can buy supplies,” he said. “There are a ton of people that get together, buy a bunch of food, cook out and deliver it in town (in affected areas). That’s going to be the most necessary thing down the road.”
The Rotary Club of Marathon is a local service organization that is part of an international network of more than 45,000 individual clubs that have around 1.2 million members.
