PHOTO: Carnival Cruise Line sister-ship smokestacks. (photo by Jason Leppert)
Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Corporation and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation already donated a minimum of $2 million towards Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas.
Now the corporation, foundation and Miami HEAT Charitable Fund are pledging another $10 million in support of Hurricane Irma victims throughout Florida and the Caribbean.
“We are committed to supporting relief efforts where Hurricane Irma left an impact in Florida and the Caribbean, starting with immediate humanitarian needs and recovery efforts that will have a meaningful impact,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, in a press release.
“Hurricane Irma’s impact strikes close to home both in our home state of Florida and across the Caribbean, where we and our brands have made many friends and partners over many years. Our prayers and thoughts go out to all of those who have been impacted. It is inspiring to see so many individuals and organizations already pitching in to support the relief work, and we will continue to look for ways to provide support.
“Our friends and partners from across Florida and the Caribbean have always displayed remarkable resilience, strength and spirit when facing difficult circumstances. They have come back strong in the past, and we will be standing with them as they work to come back strong once again.”
To start, the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation will donate $2.5 million to Direct Relief, UNICEF and the United Way of Miami-Dade County in order to help fulfill immediate needs.
Additionally, the Carnival Foundation philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation and the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund plan to raise $5 million for recovery efforts. Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine will match that amount up to $5 million from the family foundation, including the initial $2.5 million donation.
Donald responded, in the release, “We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Micky and Madeleine Arison for their generosity, and also express our gratitude to the Miami HEAT organization for partnering with us to support recovery efforts.”
Pat Riley, President of the Miami HEAT, added, in the release, “Hurricane Irma has devastated many families and cities that mean so much to us. As a long-time resident of South Florida, I have witnessed the resiliency of our communities; watching neighbors come together to overcome adversity. The South Florida community has supported our organization throughout the years, so it is only fitting that we are there to support and help uplift this community in its time of need.”
Carnival Corporation’s individual cruise brands are also doing their part.
As previously announced, 11 of Carnival Cruise Line’s ships are delivering supplies to impacted destinations, including Grand Turk, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Antigua-Barbuda and the Bahamas. The line also invites its guests to donate at a dedicated webpage here.
Meanwhile, Princess Cruises’ Princess Foundation also pledges to match donations made on its own website link that will be soon available, and P&O Cruises UK is establishing a campaign to donate to UNICEF.
Corporately, Carnival is encouraging its employees to help Texas, Florida and the Caribbean as it also matches some individual donations.
This post first appeared on TravelPulse.