SHAGGY has made an impassioned plea to the Jamaican Diaspora to support this year’s staging of the charity fund-raiser Shaggy and Friends, which will benefit the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.
The Jamaican international reggae artiste made the appeal at this week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, days before the biennial event set for this Saturday, January 6 on the lawns of Jamaica House in St Andrew.
“About four million people in America are Jamaicans and I have been in a situation where I spent almost US$800,000 in advertising to reach our Diaspora and I made $7,000. So, the Diaspora let me down,” Shaggy said.
He speculated that the soft response from the Diaspora could have been due to fears about scamming, but pointed to the credibility and trust that his foundation has established over the years as reasons for people to support the concert’s cause.
Subsequently, the Grammy-winning reggae act, who conceptualised the concert in 2009, has created a number of ways in which the Diaspora can show their support.
For global donations, individuals can buy a Shaggy and Friends 2018 T-shirt at raetown.com, request banking information by sending an e-mail to info@shaggymakeadifferencefoundation.org or make a donation online at foodforthepoor.org/TeamShaggy4Kids.
Locally, Jamaicans can donate via Wata, Digicel or Flow. For Digicel donations, up to January 12, network users can text “TeamShaggy4Kids” to 444-2498 for $50.
For every bottle of Wata with the Shaggy Foundation logo purchased, $3 will go towards the initiative. Individuals considering this route are being asked to visit watadonates.com for more information. For Flow users, up to January 31, network users can text “GIVE” to 444-4299 for $100.
For this staging of the event, proceeds will go towards developing the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, which only has five beds due to the building being unable to accommodate more.
“The ICU needs expanding. We need 10 to 15 beds for the ICU but the building needs to be expanded,” he said.
Shaggy also pointed out that the last needs list from the hospital has been completed and 300 items of machiney were donated, with 150 more to come.
He however pointed out that his foundation is awaiting a new needs list and appealed to individuals to continue to give to assist the hospital.
“When we get this new list we will see what else is there to be done. There will always be needs. It’s like a bucket with a hole that cannot be filled. Things break and will need to be replaced over time, plus the hospital will always need donations as it caters to over 200 patients daily,” he said.
Among the acts confirmed for Shaggy & Friends 2018 are Sting, Wyclef Jean, Fetty Wap, Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons, Christopher Martin, Aidonia, Dexta Daps, Junior Reid, Shenseea, Barrington Levy, Third World, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Capleton, Professor Nuts, and Wayne Wonder.
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