Killington Ski Resort Pledges $100K Fund To Help Jamaican Workers After Hurricane Melissa

As Jamaica tallies the losses from the devastating Hurricane Melissa, Killington Ski Resort, Vermont, is working to support its employees from the island nation through a fundraiser and a donation.

The resort has pledged $100,000 to provide $1,000 in direct assistance to each of its affected staff members, and is running a GoFundMe campaign with an additional $50,000 goal for the cause. So far, it’s raised almost $10,000.

“More than 100 of our Jamaican team members and their families have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa,” Killington wrote in a recent social media post. “They breathe life into every season, and now it’s our turn to help give some of that life back.”

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According to Killington, some of its Jamaican employees have lost their homes and still haven’t heard from their loved ones after Hurricane Melissa hit. The resort noted that these staff members fill numerous roles at the mountain, from snowmaking to restaurant service.

To show its “respect in meaningful ways,” Killington explained in the fundraiser, it’ll serve Jamaican-inspired meals at its lodges during opening weekend, raise awareness at the Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill, and fly the Jamaican flag. 

The GoFundMe will remain open throughout the coming ski season at Killington, which could start in the near future. To donate and learn more, click here.

Hurricane Melissa touched down in Jamaica late last month. It was the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the country. 

According to the United Nations, at least 32 people were killed and almost 36,000 now require urgent food assistance. UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq added in a recent press release that over 100,000 structures have been affected. 

Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, has said that the hurricane’s damage is equivalent to about one-third of the previous year’s gross domestic product, falling in a conservative estimate between $6 billion and $7 billion. He cautioned that the fallout could shrink Jamaica's economic output by as much as 13%.

As Hurricane Melissa headed north, it also hit other Caribbean nations like Cuba and Haiti, causing flooding and forcing evacuations.