Telethon at BMCC/CUNY in The Heights (CITH) Supports Hurricane Relief in the Dominican Republic

L-R: CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor Hector Batista, BMCC Acting VP Julio Izquierdo, NYC Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, CITH Director Ingrid Renderos, New York State Assembly Member Karines Reyes, BMCC President Anthony Munroe
L-R: CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor Hector Batista, BMCC Acting VP Julio Izquierdo, NYC Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, CITH Director Ingrid Renderos, New York State Assembly Member Karines Reyes, BMCC President Anthony Munroe

September 29, 2022

A September 26 telethon hosted at the Borough of Manhattan Community College upper Manhattan campus BMCC/CUNY in The Heights (CITH) raised funds to support recovery efforts in the Dominican Republic, where Hurricane Fiona left more than 12,000 people displaced, nearly 1.4 million without drinking water, and thousands without electricity.

The event was spearheaded by the Hispanic Federation of New York and the Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who represents New York’s thirteenth Congressional district, including the Inwood neighborhood where CITH is located.

Congressman Espaillat at BMCC/CUNY in The Heights telethon to help DR hurricane victims.
Congressman Espaillat at BMCC/CUNY in The Heights telethon to help DR hurricane victims.

More than a hundred people attended the fundraiser, which featured a live band and a bank of telethon operators taking donation calls. Among the community leaders in attendance were CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor Hector Batista, BMCC President Anthony Munroe, BMCC Acting Vice President of Finance and Administration Julio Izquierdo, NYC Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, CITH Director Ingrid Renderos and New York State Assembly Member Karines Reyes, as well as representatives from non-profits, BMCC students, faculty and staff, and the general public.

“The BMCC community extends to all five boroughs of New York City and beyond. Our students represent more than 125 countries, and among the top ten, is the Dominican Republic. When tragedy strikes in our City, or in one of the countries where our students have family and strong ties, it affects them deeply. We were honored to host the telethon initiated by Congressman Adriano Espaillat and the Hispanic Federation of New York at our BMCC/CUNY in The Heights campus. These efforts speak to our culture as a college, and honor the culture of our diverse student population,” said BMCC President Munroe.

“BMCC/CUNY in The Heights was honored to host a telethon to raise monies to help the Dominican Republic recover from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Fiona,” said CITH Director Renderos. “We answered Congressman Adriano Espaillat’s call to action, along with the Hispanic Federation of New York, and many community leaders, organizations, foundations and corporations. Many of our students have families in the Dominican Republic, so we needed to support this fundraising effort.”

Donations can still be made online: select “Dominican Republic Disaster Relief” in the drop-down menu.

Supporting disaster relief efforts in the communities of BMCC students relates to the BMCC Strategic Plan including Strategic Goal #5: Strengthen our culture of care for students, faculty and staff.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • September 26 telethon hosted at BMCC/CUNY in The Heights (CITH) campus raised funds to support recovery efforts in the Dominican Republic, which was devastated by Hurricane Fiona

  • Event was spearheaded by the Hispanic Federation of New York and the Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who represents New York’s thirteenth Congressional district, including the Inwood neighborhood where CITH is located

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