Man Buys 100 Generators to Send to the Bahamas

A Florida man bought 100 generators plus food to send to the Bahamas after the country was devastated by a hurricane this fall.

Alec Sprague walked into a Jacksonville, Florida Costco to purchase a generator. To his surprise, another man was there doing the same–except 100 times over, with the intent of sending the generators to hurricane-stricken Grand Bahama and Abaco in the Bahamas.

“Was just in Cosco off Collins getting a generator (at $450 each) and this guy right here is purchasing over 100 generators and food to send to the Bahamas!” Sprague said in a Facebook post. “All I could do was shake his hand and thank him! There still are good people in the world!”

The man also purchased food supplies, including peas, beans, coffee, salt, pepper and other essentials to send overseas. His bill came out to $49,285.70 (the generators cost $450 each), but he wanted no credit for his help. He said he would rather people focus their attention on the needs of those suffering in the Bahamas.

“It’s important that we help each other out. It’s better than just sitting there,” he told CNN. “You see a need and you fill it.”

Helping out

If it hadn’t been for Sprague’s post, which was shared 17,000 times in three hours, the world may not have found out about the anonymous donor’s kindness. However, he did share with news services the details about exactly how the supplies reached the Bahamas.

Was just in Cosco off Collins getting a generator (at $450 each) and this guy right here is purchasing over 100…
Posted by Alec Sprague on Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Alec Sprague’s original post.

First, trucks drove the generators and food supplies from Jacksonville to the farmer’s own storage facilities in Stuart, Florida, about 250 miles south. From there, boats took the donations to the Bahamas.

As it turns out, the farmer has a friend in the Bahamas, a boat captain named Errol Thurston. Thurston runs a guide service in Marsh Harbour in the Abaco Islands. He and the anonymous donor became friends in the early 2000s, when the donor visited the islands.

After hearing about the devastation in his friend’s hometown, the donor contacted Thurston and joined his relief efforts. Thurston had set up a Hurricane Relief Fund to help Grand Bahama and Abaco citizens. His fundraiser on Go Fund Me is still currently receiving donations.

Thurston’s wife, Mercedes, set up the page in her husband’s name, stating:

“My name is Mercedes Thurston and I am creating this page on behalf of my husband Errol Thurston who is a proud Bahamian and owner of Errol Thurston Bahamas, a fishing guide service in Abaco. He was born and raised in Abaco and I’ve been blessed to call Abaco my second home for many years now. We’ve set up this GoFundMe Page to help the people of Abaco during their greatest time of need.”

Getting the generators and other supplies to the Bahamas was no easy task, but Thurston knows many boat captains and pilots who have been willing to help.

“We have a lot of guys with planes to take it over. There are hundreds of local captains with boats who are ready on standby to take the generators and chainsaws by boat,” he told CNN.

Note: It is unclear whether the generators and supplies were purchased with the funds from Thurston’s Go Fund Me page, or solely by the anonymous donor. In any case, we’re happy that people want to help!

Main image: The purchased generators await shipping to the Bahamas (CNN).

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#Bahamas Hurricane Dorian #Bahamas hurricane relief #Eroll Thurston