Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Coalition raising money to help hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria

Carlos Giusti / AP

Juana Matos resident Hector Rosa walks through a flooded area after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Puerto Rico, Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

Six local Spanish-speaking organizations will raise money this weekend for Puerto Rico after two hurricanes devastated the island last month.

The Las Vegas 4 Puerto Rico coalition, a group led by the Puerto Rican Society of Nevada and the Puerto Rican Association of Las Vegas, will conduct an event Sunday at Palace Station to raise money to assist with efforts to repair the island.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed homes and knocked out power to 3.5 million residents in Puerto Rico, causing as much as $95 billion in damage.

Running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday’s event will feature salsa and Caribbean music bands and other entertainment, such as children’s games and food sampling.

“We all share the common goal of doing everything we can to help our Puerto Rican brethren,” coalition spokesman Raul Collazo said. “Together we can do more than if we approached this campaign individually.”

Funds raised at the event will go to the Lions Club of Puerto Rico, according to a news release from the coalition.

“Las Vegas is home to tens of thousands of people of Puerto Rican origin or descent, and there are many ties that bind us,” Collazo said.

The group also offered its condolences over this week’s mass shooting in Las Vegas.