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Connecticut Sun Forward Jonquel Jones Seeking Hurricane Relief For Bahamas

Ramon Espinosa
/
AP Photo
A toilet sits in the debris of a home destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in the Pine Bay neighborhood of Freeport, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. Freeport is home to Jonquel Jones, who plays for the WNBA's Connecticut Sun.

Relief efforts are underway in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian devastated the islands that make up the country.

The hurricane is now heading toward the Carolinas after tracking just off the coast of Florida. So far, Dorian’s greatest impact has been felt in the Bahamas – where the catastrophic winds of the Category 5 storm smacked the northern part of the islands for two days.

One Connecticut professional athlete is actively trying to raise money for the Bahamas.

Connecticut Sun player Jonquel Jones recently announced through her team’s Twitter feed that she was starting a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Bahamian relief effort.

Jones is originally from Freeport in the Bahamas. Freeport’s on Grand Bahama Island, which was devastated by the storm.

“Right now, my family is OK. They’re in a good situation,” Jones said.

 

The Bahamian native has donated $10,000 to the relief effort herself. Her GoFundMe page had raised $20,000 as of Wednesday.

“A lot of people have been asking me so I think this is the best way to just make sure that the people of the Bahamas have some funds in order to help them to get back on their feet,” Jones said. “The storm has been tough. It hasn’t really been moving too much.”

Much of the devastation happened over a 30-hour period when the storm essentially stalled over the Bahamas on Monday and Tuesday.

Representatives from Stamford-based nonprofit Americares arrived in the Bahamas on Wednesday to provide medical aid and supplies to victims.

Frankie Graziano is the host of The Wheelhouse, focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.

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