LYNN — Fifteen months after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, becoming the most destructive storm in the modern history of the island, Lynn is sending over a check for $6,000.
George Markos, owner of Brother’s Deli in Lynn, initiated a donation collection at his restaurant shortly after the hurricane hit the island last September. In one day, in a span of four hours, Markos said his customers raised the full $6,000.
“I wanted to do it from my heart, that’s how I do everything,” he said. “I was shocked and so thankful, but I know everybody has something good inside of them.”
Markos said after he counted the donations, he was unsure of the best way to get them over to Puerto Rico, so he contacted Mayor Thomas M. McGee’s office a few months ago. The mayor’s staff reached out to a few contacts at Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office and received a vetted list of organizations on the island in need of relief.
McGee said his office decided on Sociedad Pro Hospital Del Niño, a children’s hospital in San Juan, and will send the check directly to the medical institution.
Hurricane Maria hit the island as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 20, 2017, according to the Associated Press. It destroyed the electric power grid and thousands of homes, businesses, and government buildings and left residents with no power, water, or cellphone service. It caused nearly $100 billion in damage and an estimated 2,975 people were killed, according to AP.
As of September 2018, AP reports, tens of thousands of Puerto Rican residents remain without adequate shelter or reliable electric power.
“Thank you, George, for putting this together and being a conduit for the people of Lynn after the tragedy in Puerto Rico,” said McGee.
