Sammy Sosa Foundation is helping with the recovery of the DR. Contributions and donations to the DR can be sent to the Chicago Cubs at the Wrigley Field Stadium, Tel. 773-404-2827. Dominican ball players in the Major Leagues have announced their intention to pool efforts to encourage Americans to send donations to Hurricane Georges refuges in the DR. The Sosa Foundation will ship more than 80,000 pounds of goods to the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean island nation that has been devastated by the effects of Hurricane Georges. With the help of a donated UPS aircraft, the Foundation will send emergency food and supplies to the Chicago Cubs star’s native country. The Sosa Foundation, which was established to benefit the people of the Dominican Republic, has purchased more than 60,000 pounds of rice and beans and 20,000 pounds of bottled water to aid the country’s ongoing relief efforts. The goods will be expressed from Miami International Airport this afternoon on a UPS 757 for delivery in Santo Domingo later in the day. "I live in the two most wonderful countries in the world and cannot imagine the United States not lending a helping hand in this Dominican crisis," said Sammy Sosa. "With UPS’s help and the good work of the people who run the Foundation, we are able to ship the badly needed food and water quickly and directly to where it is most essential." Over the years, UPS has been part of several global relief efforts. UPS’s employees in The Americas region, which includes the Dominican Republic, urged the company to help The Sosa Foundation with this mission. "When we became aware that the only thing holding back Sammy Sosa’s Foundation from its mission was the transportation, UPS felt compelled to step up to the plate," said Jim Kelly, chairman and CEO of UPS. The estimated damage in the Caribbean from Hurricane Georges exceeds $2 billion, and nearly all of the country’s food crops have been destroyed. Furthermore, the devastation of homes and shelters have left more than 100,000 residents of the Dominican Republic homeless. The Sosa Foundation was formed by Sammy Sosa and three charter directors in October 1997. With the intent to provide children of the Dominican Republic with computers, reading materials and proper medical care, The Foundation was incorporated on June 1, 1998. For the time being, the current focus of The Sosa Foundation has shifted to providing hurricane relief to the Dominican Republic. UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, employs 329,400 employees worldwide. UPS provides services to more than 200 countries and territories, and had revenues of US$22.5 billion last year. The company operates 218 aircraft and charters an additional 302. Photo of UPS Chairman & CEO Jim Kelly and Cubs’ Sammy Sosa can be accessed at Business Wire’s Home Page – www.businesswire.com
