This weekend on Saturday, January 4th, we will welcome another production of Shaggy and Friends to benefit the English speaking Caribbean’s only full service Children’s Hospital. Over 10 years ago, I was introduced to this important medical institution when visiting a friend’s son who had been admitted there for treatment. This visit changed my view and knowledge of the great needs at the hospital and the challenging obstacles children faced with receiving medical care in Jamaica and the region.
I knew that I had to act immediately. Over the years, along with friends in Jamaica and across the world, we have had personal donations of medical equipment, including, but not limited to, ventilators, electroencephalogram (EEG) machine, table top sterilizing machine, upgrade of the medical oxygen system, funding of the beautification of the administrative block and creation of a kiddies park & recreation area.
In addition to meeting the needs of Bustamante Hospital for Children, I would like acknowledge and recognize the efforts of many other Jamaicans and organizations, at home and in the diaspora, who have also stepped up over the years to conduct medical missions or make personal donations of their own to support other needs within Jamaica. We have much more work to do, including myself, to inform ourselves of these efforts and to share best practices for greater collaboration to meet the critical needs of our kids in our medical institutions.
For the Shaggy and Friends concert, we are endeavoring to raise the necessary funds to meet the hospital’s actual dire needs list of well over US$2,000,000 worth of equipment and supplies. This is where we need each other. Every single dollar and voice of support from all Jamaicans, at home in Jamaica and across the world in the diaspora, and our extended family across the world as well could make an extraordinary DIFFERENCE in this effort.
We have demonstrated our collective will before as a people on many occasions, including recently to support our songstress Tessanne, in an unprecedented manner and I am appealing to all to rally in a similar manner again for our kids at the Bustamante Hospital for Children as #TeamShaggy4Kids.
As someone who lives in Jamaica and in the United States, I recognize that we have global reach with our music, culture and our voice. I am eternally grateful to all here in Jamaica and in our diaspora who work tirelessly to make Jamaica a better place for our kids to grow and be healthy.
To support the needs the hospital this weekend and beyond, please consider the following donation options:
1. CALL or TEXT: J$50 per text. Simply text PLEDGE to 876-444-4248 from any mobile device
2. ONLINE: via Food For The Poor at foodforthepoor.org/teamshaggy4kids *contributions are tax-deductible under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 © (3)
3. JAMAICA BANK INFORMATION: Any Scotiabank. J$ Account: 801492 and USD$ Account: 927180. Account branch is at Scotiacentre (#50765)
4. US BANK INFORMATION: Any CapitalOne Bank. Routing #021407912. Account #7017148030
5. JN MONEY TRANSFER: For the period January 2-15, 2014, JNBS will donate US$1 per remittance for each JN Money Transfer remittance. For any donation of J$2000 – J$5000 to the Shaggy Foundation through any JN Money Shop in Jamaica or US$20 to U$100 at any JN Money Transfer branch in NY, Connecticut and Florida and JNMT will waive the remittance fee on the donation.
