The UMHS Student Government Association (SGA), the nonprofit Med4You, UMHS students and President Warren Ross have joined forces to bring relief to the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico with a GoFundMe page (initial goal of $25,000 over the next two weeks). President Ross is matching all funds raised.
President Ross forwarded a message from SGA and Med4You in which he said, "I am proud to forward you a communication from our students who have taken the initiative to raise funds for the relief effort in Puerto Rico. They truly are making a difference."
The UMHS Endeavour runs the full message below.
To: The UMHS Community
From: Student Government Association and Med4You
The past Wednesday, September 20, 2017, our neighboring island, Puerto Rico, suffered the terrible impact of Hurricane Maria. It was not an easy week, especially for many of our students who were not able to contact their loved ones for days. Many have gotten in touch, but communication is still very limited on the island. We could not be more proud of our students, who are attending their classes and studying hard despite the adversity they are facing. We are very proud of you and stand with you. Our students are dedicated, hard working, passionate, and can persevere under the toughest of conditions. They would do anything to aid in any way they can. Hurricane Maria has left a troubling situation in Puerto Rico, and it pains us to see the destruction and distress. Up until this day, Puerto Rico has limited resources like water, fuel and even food. The situation in Puerto Rico is dire and the devastation is nothing less than cataclysmic. The level of suffering is beyond words and we need to take action to help those who need immediate assistance. We as a community can make a difference by providing critical aid where it is most needed.
It is the University of Medicine and Health Sciences – Student Government Association's and Med4You's honor to show our support to our extended family. We as a community have been working hard and passionately to show Puerto Rico our support, love and care. Over the next 2 weeks our goal is to raise a minimum of $25,000 to be donated to a reputable relief fund. We are now in the process of determining which organization is best suited for this task. Please rest assured that 100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly towards a non-profit organization that solely seeks to provide immediate relief for Puerto Rico. The following link will take you to our GoFundMe page where donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/UMHS-Unidos-Por-Puerto-Rico. We need to act quickly as the situation is desperate. Let's make a difference. Help ease the desperation, the pain and the suffering, and provide the aid that is so crucial in these moments. The university will be providing us with the resources to reach everyone in our UMHS community including students, alumni, faculty, staff and our affiliated hospitals. President Ross has also generously offered to match any funds we raise. Puerto Rico needs our help, and we are not going to let them down. United we can make a difference.
UMHS, SGA and Med4YouOrg stands with you, Puerto Rico! Help spread the word.
(Top photo) UNIDOS POR PUERTO RICO: UMHS students gather in solidarity for Puerto Rico. UMHS SGA and Med4You set up a GoFundMe page with an initial goal of $25,000. President Ross is matching any funds raised. A total of $50,000 was eventually raised. Photo: UMHS
About UMHS:
Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciences focuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. UMHS is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.
Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.