Caye Caulker Village Council thanks community for contributions to Ocean Academy Accident Fund

Posted: Tuesday, December 3, 2024. 10:09 am CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The Caye Caulker Village Council (CCVC) has expressed gratitude to the community for their overwhelming support of the fundraising effort in response to the recent traffic accident involving students and a teacher from the island’s Ocean Academy. Several boys and a teacher-coach sustained serious injuries, with three currently in critical condition. One student is being discharged on Tuesday, while the others remain hospitalized.

“As these are OUR children, the Caye Caulker Village Council felt it necessary to take immediate action,” the Village Council said in a statement.

“On the night of the accident, we facilitated payments for CT scans because private institutions would not have proceeded without securing payments first. As the number of students and teachers needing scans increased, and with the possibility of some requiring medical care abroad, it became clear that we needed additional financial support.”

The CCVC reported the total amount collected so far is BZ$57,981.15. This includes BZ$33,561.55 from the Caye Caulker Village Council (CCVC), BZ$8,419.60 from a first PayPal payment, and BZ$16,000.00 pending collection via PayPal. Out of this, BZ$9,500.00 has already been paid out from the CCVC account for other imaging at private institutions and reimbursements to families.

The Council also mentioned that the community’s response has been overwhelming.

“We reached out to the community for assistance, and your generosity has been overwhelming,” the CCVC said in its statement.

“We are committed to full transparency and will present a detailed financial report soon. However, we feel it’s important to share a preliminary update with you now to reassure everyone that all funds collected will be used solely for medical expenses for these students and teachers.”

The Village Council said they will continue working closely with Ocean Academy to collect funds and provide assistance where needed.

“To everyone who has given selflessly, thank you. Your kindness and community spirit are what make Caye Caulker so special. However, the road to recovery is long for many of these families, and they will need ongoing support in the coming months. Together, we can achieve so much for these individuals if we continue to rally as one,” the CCVC said.

They further urged the community to keep the boys, their families, and everyone affected in their prayers.

The CCVC also thanked Mrs. Lee Vanderwalker for immediately offering to assist with her PayPal account for this cause.

“Let’s continue to show the love, strength, and unity that defines our island home,” the statement concluded.

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