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Thank you all for the love and passion for the USVI you're shown! So far, we've raised $1650 through yarn sales, and about $350 through direct donations that people have let me know about. I PayPal'd the donations on Monday, $1000 to the St. John Community Foundation, $400 to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, and $250 to the Coral Bay Community Council (see my instagram feed for the confirmation pics). Though the fundraiser is technically ended, I still have a tiny bit of yarn left and can raise about $200 more if it all sells. I see no reason to take down this page or stop donating 'til it's gone. All skeins are now a "Yarny Surprise", and there are still a few balls of really soft and luscious alpaca and tussah silk roving.
$15 from every skein will be donated to community foundations that are pillars of the relief effort in the USVI, starting with the St. John Community Foundation. If the total raised is a good chunk, I'll add the Coral Bay Community Council, and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. If you'd prefer to donate directly to those organizations, please follow the links in this text and consider St. John Rescue as well. Send a screenshot of an email or website showing you donated along with your mailing address to orders AT alpenglowyarn dotcom, and I'll send you a little thank-you.
Why this cause? I grew up on St. John in the USVI. Though I haven't lived there in ~20 years, it's deeply a part of who I am. Islanders are tough, and Category 1 and 2 hurricanes are a constant nuisance, but usually don't do much damage. Above that, it's a different story. I've been through a Category 4 hurricane down there, and I know how much the community pulled together to rebuild, how long it took, how little help there was from the federal government, and how little main news media coverage there was. Irma was a Category 5, and a disaster several magnitudes beyond that. St. John was hit the hardest of the USVI and the devastation is immense and staggering. Most of the houses on the island lost their roofs. Of those that do have roofs, many don't have windows. It is a hard struggle to survive right now - disaster assistance by the military, FEMA, and private individuals like Tim Duncan (yes, the basketball player) and Kenny Chesney (yes, the country singer) is barely providing enough food and water. Solid shelter is scarce. Electricity will be out for months. Rebuilding will take years. And Hurricane Maria is right on Irma's heels, another Category 5 hurricane about to wreak even more havoc on the region. I feel pretty helpless in the sheer face of the magnitude of these disasters, but I'm doing what I can to give back to the amazing community that both nurtured and whooped my ass during childhood. I hope you'll consider joining me.
Why this cause? I grew up on St. John in the USVI. Though I haven't lived there in ~20 years, it's deeply a part of who I am. Islanders are tough, and Category 1 and 2 hurricanes are a constant nuisance, but usually don't do much damage. Above that, it's a different story. I've been through a Category 4 hurricane down there, and I know how much the community pulled together to rebuild, how long it took, how little help there was from the federal government, and how little main news media coverage there was. Irma was a Category 5, and a disaster several magnitudes beyond that. St. John was hit the hardest of the USVI and the devastation is immense and staggering. Most of the houses on the island lost their roofs. Of those that do have roofs, many don't have windows. It is a hard struggle to survive right now - disaster assistance by the military, FEMA, and private individuals like Tim Duncan (yes, the basketball player) and Kenny Chesney (yes, the country singer) is barely providing enough food and water. Solid shelter is scarce. Electricity will be out for months. Rebuilding will take years. And Hurricane Maria is right on Irma's heels, another Category 5 hurricane about to wreak even more havoc on the region. I feel pretty helpless in the sheer face of the magnitude of these disasters, but I'm doing what I can to give back to the amazing community that both nurtured and whooped my ass during childhood. I hope you'll consider joining me.