Sandals and Beaches Resorts on Tuesday presented a cheque for $350,000 to the St Ann Senior Citizens’ Association to assist elderly residents of the parish who were affected by Hurricane Dean over a week ago.

The donation forms part of the $10 million which Sandals Resorts chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart had pledged to assist victims of the hurricane, and was made by Sandals CEO Adam Stewart at the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios.

“At a time like this, with such a disaster, when so many people are affected we feel that it’s an obligation to try and do as much as possible,” said Adam Stewart. “On behalf of all the team members who work at Sandals and Beaches, and our chairman, we feel very proud to be a part of this today and we will absolutely be playing our part down the road.”

President of the Brittonville Senior Citizens’ Club, Ada Webb, accepted the cheque on behalf of the parent organisation, St Ann Senior Citizens’ Association.

Webb said seven elderly residents of Brittonville in St Ann were affected by the hurricane and the association’s management committee would be taking a careful look at the damage done in each case and then allocate the necessary funding.

“A very big thank you on behalf of the St Ann Citizens’ Association to Mr Stewart and company for doing so much,” said Webb. “We are happy to receive this cheque and I am certain it will go towards the right thing, that is, to help those who have suffered.”

One of the victims, Osmond Dobson, who was at the handing-over ceremony, thanked Sandals for the assistance.

“The hurricane treat me very bad, it lift three-quarter ah mi roof, it don’t blow it weh, it just lif it off the building and then the whole verandah just blow off,” Dobson recounted.

Stewart said Sandals would be trying to identify the people who are in need of assistance the most and make further donations.