SGU Alumni Charity Drive Aids Grenadians Impacted by Hurricane Beryl
Photos courtesy of Grenada’s Office of the Prime Minister.
Drawing on the generosity and compassion of the St. George’s University community, the School of Medicine Alumni Association (SOMAA) and friends led a successful charity drive this summer to help those impacted by Hurricane Beryl in Carriacou, Petite Martinique, and northern Grenada.
“On behalf of the SOMAA, we are grateful to our SGU family for helping us raise more than $77,000 for this worthy cause,” said Matthew Melamed, MD ’14, MPH ’08, FACEP, president of the SOMAA. “SGU’s connection to the people of Grenada as well as its sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinque, is innate. We felt it crucial that we do our part as an organization to support them during their time of need, and we could not have done it without the generous donations from the SGU community and friends. Thank you for your help.”
The monies donated will be used to aid in the re-establishment of medical and clinical services in areas devastated by Beryl.
Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in Carriacou on July 1, was the earliest forming Category 5 hurricane on record and the first for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Although the storm was only the third hurricane in almost 70 years to the island, it caused widespread devastation to the northern parishes of Grenada, and severely impacted the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Many residents there lost their homes and/or businesses, while other areas were uninhabitable.
SGU Students Aid in Grenada’s Relief Efforts Following Hurricane Beryl
Through a coordinated partnership with the SGU Alumni Affairs department, the Grenada COVID Crisis Group, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Grenadians United in Virginia Inc., SOMAA was able to respond swiftly to the humanitarian crisis on the ground.
The Grenada COVID Crisis Group was formed during the global pandemic to organize a relief effort for the island during a time of much uncertainty. The Grenadians United in Virginia Inc. is an organization whose focus for the past 25 years is to extend medical assistance to Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinque, according to Dwight Matthias, MD ’93, secretary of the SOMAA Executive Committee, coordinator of the Grenada COVID-19 Crisis Group, and vice president of Grenadians United in Virginia.
“It was a natural fit for the groups to come together to assist those affected by Hurricane Beryl,” said Dr. Matthias. “It has truly been a team effort—and we will continue to extend our assistance where needed.”
The request for assistance was put out shortly after the storm made landfall, and the response from alumni and friends has been nothing short of remarkable, according to Brendon La Grenade, EdD, SGU vice provost of Institutional Advancement and head of Alumni Affairs.
“This was the first national crisis faced by Grenadians since the COVID-19 pandemic and it is no surprise that our alumni rallied to help the island they once called home,” Dr. La Grenade said. “We cannot thank you enough for being the wonderful humanitarians that you are. We are happy to report that, through efforts like these, the situation on the islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique, and northern Grenada continues to improve daily. Your willingness to support this effort has truly made a difference.”
SGU also recognizes alumni who have visited, or plan to visit, the island to pitch in with relief efforts.
— Laurie Chartorynsky
