Let’s help our island neighbors

Wow…The last week was a rollercoaster of emotions, wasn’t it? We went from “OMG IT’S COMING RIGHT AT US” to “That’s it?” all within a few days.

We sincerely dodged a bullet named Dorian. Our friends to the East weren’t so lucky.

And RockPit is doing our part to help our island neighbors get back to normal as quickly as possible.

The Rocks in Spanish Wells

In 2006, I was in the Bahamas when I found out something that would change my life.

Tammy, Calista (Lil’ Rock) and I were on vacation in a little fishing village called Spanish Wells at the tip of Eleuthera. In fact, if you eat spiny lobster at Red Lobster, there’s a 70% chance it came from this island.

It’s not your typical vacation destination.

No water slides. No margarita stations. No horseback riding on the beach. No tourists in speedos who shouldn’t be in speedos.

Just a simple house on the beach, a golf cart for getting around and the locals who were more than happy to clue us in on where to go see cool stuff on the island.

We were there to relax and spend time together as a family. Not run around from tourist trap to tourist trap.

But something was wrong with Tammy.

She was constantly tired. She took way too many naps. These weren’t just “vacation naps”. To top it off, she was nauseated in the morning.

It got to the point where we started to look for a local doctor to see if something was going on that needed more attention.

Turns out, it was something that would need attention… well… forever.

You see, Tammy and I had been trying to bring another Rock offspring into the world. We succeeded in our attempt.

The day before we headed home, we found out Tammy was pregnant. We were beyond happy (and relieved to know she wasn’t sick). Callie was born 9 months later on Feb 10th, 2007.

I’ll never forget the moment we looked at the pregnancy test and saw the little line.

And I’ll never forgot the crystal-clear water and pink sands the Bahamas is famous for. Something maybe you’ve been able to see for yourself first hand.

I’m sure many of you reading this have enjoyed time in the Bahamas. Whether it was just for a short time during a cruise or getting to spend time in the islands of the Bahamas that’s been the playground for pirates for centuries.

As I watched Dorian head over the Bahamas, I couldn’t help but think of the Pinder’s on Spanish Wells. It seemed everyone had that last name there. The craftswomen who made Calista a doll. The local ice cream parlor, Papa Scoop’s, dishing out ice cream nightly to locals and tourists alike.

I remembered all the locals who are extremely welcoming to outsiders like us and made our stay in the Bahamas one that we’ll remember forever.

We’re they going to be ok? Did they stay behind or leave the island? Is their livelihood going to be stripped from them if their boats are destroyed?

Luckily Spanish Wells didn’t take a direct hit.

Abaco and Grand Island weren’t so lucky. To say they were decimated is an understatement.

Much of the area cannot be rebuilt. They have to start over. It’s going to be a massive undertaking and it’s going to cost billions of dollars to get there.

And we at RockPit are going to do our small part to help with the rebuilding. I’m absolutely positive other local breweries will be doing something as well. Heck, maybe we’ll all do something together.

Either way, over the coming weeks we’re going to announce some fundraising efforts to help the Bahamian people affected by this tragedy. My hope is that you can find it in your heart to pitch in. Honestly, anything will help. $1, $5 or $500.

At the moment, we’re a drop off point for supplies needed immediately. We’re coordinating with the SoDo District and the list of items needed right away are:

Canned Food

Sunscreen

Water

Diapers

First aid items such as band aids, alcohol pads and neosporin

If you have any extra cases of water laying around from your hurricane prep, bring em in. The SoDo District will ensure they get to the Bahamas ASAP.

In the meantime, please keep an eye out for our fundraising events. Let’s help these people get back to normal ASAP. 

Cheers!