A total of $64,760,000 was yesterday (Tuesday, March 22, 2016) donated to the Bustamante Hospital for Children to improve the facilities services.

The Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation handed over Fifty-Five Million Dollars ($55,000,000.00) to the Bustamante Hospital for Children from funds raised from the Shaggy & Friends 2016 Charity Concert – I Dare!

WISYNCO Group through its brand WATA also donated Eight Million Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Dollars (JA$8,260,000.00) to the hospital. Three dollars (JA$3) from every specially-marked bottle of WATA sold was donated to the Foundation towards assisting the Bustamante Hospital for Children. A third cheque valued at One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars (JA$1,500,000.00) was also handed over to the hospital by Stewarts Automotive Group.

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton expressed his appreciation to Shaggy and the team from the Make a Difference Foundation as well as to all other major partners who have continued to give back to the country and particularly to the health sector. Dr. Tufton was speaking during the official handover event held on the grounds of the Bustamante Hospital for Children on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.

“Whenever the spirit of caring and volunteerism is recognized it should be embraced, endorsed and encouraged and Shaggy is identified with that spirit of volunteerism and a heart of giving back and I want to express a big thank you to him and his team for this tremendous donation and for the continuous support to Jamaica and to health. I also want to thank all the major partners – WATA, FLOW, Bank of Nova Scotia and Stewarts Automotive Group in this collective contribution to the Bustamante Hospital for Children,” Minister Tufton said.

The Bustamante Hospital for Children has received several donations from the Shaggy & Friends biennial charity concert and over 450 pieces of life-saving equipment have been donated. The past four concerts have raised approximately One Million Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$1.6 million).

The proceeds from Shaggy & Friends 2016 Charity Concert – I Dare are set to go towards the needs of the general hospital population.