Donation Drive

A Riverview High school student is taking hurricane relief into his own hands.

Nell Figueroa-Rivera, a senior at RVHS, is making a difference to the devastation in Puerto Rico by starting a donation drive. He is collecting supplies all around the Riverview area, including at events like the Food Truck Rally, on Oct, 14. All supplies will be packed into shipments to Tampa, and then sent to Puerto Rico to be distributed. Supplies needed range all the way from tools to baby foods.

The donation drive began as an idea for Figueroa’s Eagle Scout service project for the Boy Scouts. Then the idea evolved as he told the president of Riverview’s PTSA, Stephen Szwerlega, and they decided to involve the group.

Donating supplies at the food truck rally will allow visitors to park for free at the event. Trying to get as much people to help out as possible. Including fellow Eagle Scouts and PTSA, Figueroa said, “We have close to around 100 people working on this, maybe more.” All of them are working through the office of first aid in Puerto Rico.

His collecting for donations began on Oct. 1, and will end around Oct. 14. All supplies will be loaded and then shipped to Puerto Rico, to be distributed there. Though there’s no goal in mind for the project, Figueroa hopes are to fulfill two trucks of donations.

By Pamela Rodriguez-Ramos