In the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, two category five storms that did substantial damage throughout the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, the St. Thomas Campus and the St John Academic Center, the University created the UVI Rise Relief Fund to assist students, faculty, and staff who were impacted by the storms.
West Hall Residence Hall, the MacLean Marine Center and the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas, the Research and Technology Park and the Aquaponics Center on the Albert A. Sheen Campus are among the buildings removed from operation due to the severity of the damages sustained. Preliminary estimates determine it will take approximately $51M to rebuild both campus communities. With the staff working through adversity, the University resumed classes on Oct. 9.
"Immediately after the hurricanes, we began assessing the needs of our students and staff and realized that this challenging environment would have a negative impact on their overall well-being for the next few months," said Mitchell Neaves, vice president of Institutional Advancement. "The goal for the UVI Rise Fund is to support the basic needs of the UVI Family and bring a sense of normalcy to the 2,800 people who were impacted by these storms and allow us the opportunity to provide support to the people who support this institution."
“Several Universities and civic organizations have reached out to lend support to our recovery but more funding is needed,” said UVI President David Hall. Students from approximately 11 countries are enrolled on our two campuses. “This fund is meant to support the students and the faculty and staff who fuel their higher academic achievement. Many within the UVI Family have lost their homes, but have returned to work to aid students in achieving their academic dreams,” Hall continued.
See this link to a video that speaks to the damage caused: UVI Rise Relief Fund
Become a fundraiser today and promote the fund through your social networking groups in helping to rebuild UVI as we rise. Fundraisers create a personal goal they would like to reach and encourage people within their community to contribute.
The goal of UVIRRF is to raise $900,000. Over 2,600 students and staff members were impacted by these storms, and community support will help to bring normalcy back to the campus community. Text 2017IRMA to 71777 to support this effort. Your gift to the UVI Rise Relief Fund is 100 percent tax deductible.
UVI is encouraging individuals and businesses who can to lend their support and aid in the recovery by assisting with basic needs required during a state of emergency.
More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI website –http://www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.