Tyler Vernon, CEO of Biltmore Capital Advisors, a long-time client of Third Wing, last year founded a non profit to help support the local people of Rum Cay. The island was recently hit hard by Hurricane Joaquin and the note below is a personal appeal by Mr. Vernon to provide help to the islanders.
“Hello everyone, please take a few minutes to read the below.
As many of you know, I have had the opportunity to spend some of my childhood vacations on the small island of Rum Cay, Bahamas. I am lucky enough to say that I’ve maintained great friendships with the local islanders through time and many of them are great friends today.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been able to take a bit more time over long weekends and holidays to return to the island more frequently. As an adult, it has made me realize how lucky we all are to live where we do and have access to not only top notch education and health care, but amazing possibilities in life if we work for it.
As a father, I now bring my two daughters there who play with the children of the friends I met 30 years ago. I feel it’s important for them to realize the blessings they have in life compared to the rest of the world at an age where “social classes” don’t mean anything.
Rum Cay is an island in a third world country. My friends there struggle from day to day and we go fishing together to put food on their tables when I go down. Because of where they live, the road of life has been tough from gaining access to every day healthcare, education, job opportunities and other things that we take for granted on a daily basis.
Over the last 48 hours hurricane Joaquin hit the island as it went south towards Long Island, Bahamas then took a turn north hitting it again as the eye went over the small island at only 3-5 MPH. It’s been one of the worst storms in over 50 years.
The entire village was flooded, roofs blew off, the town dock washed away, entire power grid down, local stores off their foundations, just to name a few of the many issues. The locals came together, helping the elderly out of their homes in order to get to higher ground. The government is in such bad financial shape that there was no hurricane shelter (there’s one that today stands halfway built before they ran out of funding) for the locals to keep safe.
Last year I started a non profit 501C3 for the benefit of this small island and its residents. It’s the only tax free entity set up to help this island and its people directly. Id ask you to please consider making a donation of any size to help these great people.
Your donations are 100% tax deductible and will go directly to help the people. We plan on providing food, building supplies, tools, and other equipment to rebuild their homes and their lives.
These people don’t get breaks in life often and I hope we can change that together. You can use the link below to put a donation on a debit or credit card or send a check directly to:
The Rum Cay Foundation
33 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
http://www.rumcayfoundation.org/donate/
Attached here are some of the first pictures from the island as one of the locals (not many have smart phones) was able to snap a few shots and sent them to me a few hours ago.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please say a prayer for the residents of Rum Cay. If you have an further questions please feel free to call me at any time.”
D. Tyler Vernon
Chief Executive Officer
Biltmore Capital Advisors
33 Witherspoon St.
Princeton, NJ 08542