MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Dr. Adrianne Cooper, provost, a group of volunteer students, and the Gamma Zeta Omega chapter of the AKAs met with Barrington Irving, FMU alum, to fly over vital supplies to Bahamians in crisis.
“It’s my second trip there for today. I just flew back to Miami and the plane needs a quick cleaning, since I brought back two service dogs,” said Irving. Barrington Irving is a graduate of FMU and has the distinction of being the youngest to pilot a plane solo around the world in 2007.
“In the spirit of good will and humanity, Floridians unified and came together because so many of us have friends and relatives there, and most of all, South Florida is home to a large population of Bahamians. This was a crisis that needed immediate help and a fast plan. As President of Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, I felt an urgency for that plan to be put in action to assist our people. The chapter members and I were compelled to be involved because of the devastation Hurricane Dorian left on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. The sisters of Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter arrived at our sorority meeting last Saturday and gave generously. The chapter provided diapers, wipes, soap, bottled water, cleaning supplies, first aid items, non-perishable food items, toiletries, etc. During our meeting, we contacted representatives of Florida Memorial University, our adopted HBCU, about flying supplies over to the Bahamas, twice daily. We came to an understanding, thanks to Deborah Dorsett, a member of GZO, and her team from the Service Corp; we contacted the pilot, Captain Barrington, who so graciously offered his services and experience in helping us in a dire situation such as this. To send our supplies successfully was a blessing and a unified effort. Alpha Kappa Alpha women will do everything in their power to help at this time. When there is an urgent need to collect donations that will assist in the recovery efforts of the Bahamas, we always stand tall and do as our motto states, provide “Service to All Mankind.” This is not a one-time donation; we will continue our collection of donated items throughout the year.” Tara J. Pasteur, Gamma Zeta Omega AKA President.
Needless to say, with 12% of Florida Memorial University’s student origins coming from the Bahamas,
Dr. Adrianne Cooper and our FMU student volunteers are passionate about helping families and friends from the Bahama and are always eager to lend a hand.
To help our Bahamian students complete their education, please contact:
https://www.fmuniv.edu/fmu-bahamas/
