Jeb Bush to Speak at Regional Crisis Relief Luncheon

AmericasRelief Team Hosts VI Annual Regional Crisis Relief and Logistic Luncheon

With Key Note Speaker Former Governor of the State of Florida Jeb Bush

MIAMI, FL— April 28, 2010 – Hurricane Season is fast approaching which is why the AmericasRelief Team (ART) will focus on new ways to effectively bring aid to the already-battered Caribbean Basin. AmericasRelief Team is hosting its sixth annual Regional Crisis Relief and Logistic luncheon aboard the Carnival cruise ship, Imagination, on May 7th, at the Port of Miami.

The hard work and effort that the AmericasRelief Team puts forth came to fruition after the recent disaster that affected Haiti when just one day after the deadly earthquake, AmericasRelief mobilized and activated an Emergency Operations Center.

This year’s event will take a look back to recognize those who have shown excellent leadership and have been exceptional facilitators in providing relief this past year, including the recent response to the earthquake in Haiti and ongoing efforts there. Within 30 days, over 6.8 million pounds of humanitarian aid representing donations from over thirty-six NGOs were shipped. In addition ART facilitated passenger flights to Haiti, obtained and loaded cargo flights, provided eight $15,000 mini grants to international NGOs and published nine different alerts reaching 3,000 individuals involved in Emergency Response.

The Luncheon’s keynote speaker, former Governor of the State of Florida Jeb Bush, will be discussing the importance of coordinated involvement of non-profit organizations in natural disasters and human crises in the Caribbean. Bush has expressed his strong support of economic and social development in the Caribbean, and has encouraged the members and partners of AmericasRelief Team to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate suffering and help the region recover from the devastation created by hurricanes and earthquakes such as the devastating earthquake that impacted Haiti earlier this year. Governor Bush stated that “these contributions foster goodwill and strengthen Florida’s relationship with our neighbors in the Caribbean.”

AmericasRelief Team is a nonprofit organization formed by a collaboration of corporations and nonprofit organizations to expedite relief to the Caribbean and Latin America in response to natural disasters and human crises. AmericasRelief Team focuses on coordinating logistics through guidance, education, and state-of-the-art techniques while planning and implementing effective distribution of humanitarian aid. AmericasRelief Team also coordinates storage and transportation through its members’ assistance.

AmericasRelief Team corporate and non-profit partners and collaborators include: ADRA; American Red Cross; Baptist Health; Belle Plume Communications; Caribbean Central America Action (CCAC); Carnival Corporation; Cross International ;DAMCO/Maersk; Laparkan; Enterprise Florida; FAVACA; Feed the Children; FedEx Latin America; Florida Stevedoring; Food for the Poor; Gateway Florida; Harvest International; IBC Airways; InterAction; International Relief and Development (IRD); JAKSAIR; LAN Airlines; Miami-Dade Aviation Department; Miami River Marine Group; Neighbors4Neighbors; Pan American Development Foundation (PADF); Port of Miami Terminal Operating Co. (POMTOC),; RFC Logistics; Republica; Seaboard Marine; SeaFreight Agencies; TranLogistics; U.S. Southern Command (Southcom); Univision; WTDC; World Vision-South Florida; World Emergency Relief-UK; and YRC Logistics.

About AmericasRelief Team: AmericasRelief Team coordinates, facilitates, and offers the following services for victims of humanitarian emergencies in the Americas: relief aid, preparedness, development, and recovery. When disaster strikes, AmericasRelief Team works in a coordinated basis with the governments in the target region, the U.S. government, donating corporations, air & sea cargo carriers, logistics companies, non-governmental experts and others.

For more information, log on to www.americasrelief.org.

We would also like to thank this year’s Relief Luncheon’s Sponsors!