STONINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — Guylaine Nicol, who is known to friends as Sky, is expanding her efforts to help those in need.
The Stonington woman started a charity, Sky Help Haiti, to bring donations of shoes to children in Haiti and now she will add other supplies for the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, which along with the entire island nation was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
She will be sending a shipment of 325 pairs of shoes, medical supplies, and other donations to Haiti and Puerto Rico aboard a Sketch 57 foot sailboat. Captain Sequoia Sun and his organization Sail Aid International will be at the helm leading the journey which will pick up more supplies along the way.
Nicol first went to Haiti last year with Captain Sequoia.
“It really broke my heart to find out that some of the kids could not go to school because they didn’t have shoes,” said Nicol.
The children cannot wear sandals or flip flops. They need dress shoes to attend school. This week she is packing up 360 pairs of shoes along with supplies for Puerto Rico.
“We’re going to have medical supply for them and we’re going to have baby food and water,” said Nicol.
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She’ll help crew the Tandemeer which will be sailed by Capt Sequioa whose organization Sail Aid International has been heading to Haiti every year since the earthquake in 2010.
“It’s sad to see people who are poor usually to start out with losing everything losing their homes,” said Capt Sequioa.
Now he will also sail to Puerto Rico after Haiti extending this good will mission.
“We can serve small out of the way locations that are overlooked or missed or just not reached by the large international aid organizations,” said Capt Sequioa.
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New England Science and Sailing is providing dockage for the sailboat which is helping teach NESS”s students sailing is for recreation and more.
“Experiential education but another reason is you could potentially provide stewardship and aid to people,” said Ben Yanni, the Operations Director with New England Science & Sailing.
The boat is expected to set sail at the end of the week.
