Mango’s Tropical Cafe collect items for Hurricane relief effort for devastated countries in the Caribbean
MIAMI BEACH – David Wallack, owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe on Miami’s South Beach, along with Actor Alex Castro (NBC’s American Gladiator, Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil) led an enormous relief effort on Ocean Drive on Wednesday, September 24th to collect much needed items for victims of Hurricane Ike in devastated countries such as Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Starting at noon, Alex Castro, David Wallack and several members of the Mango’s staff began driving an oversized moving truck down trendy Ocean Drive, making over 30 stops to collect supplies such as clothing, water, canned goods, medicine, bedding, baby supplies and more.
Mango’s Director of Corporate Affairs Christine Battles, who was the point person for all donations, is still receiving calls from businesses wanting to contribute.
“People have lost their homes and all of their possessions,” said Wallack, who always leads or participates in disaster relief efforts internationally. “I organized my staff and we did a massive outreach to our neighboring businesses urging them to ask their employees to empty their closets of items they no longer wear and empty their kitchen cabinets of food items they do not need.”
For those in Cuba that are not getting supplies fast enough, Michael Capponi, a prominent South Florida business owner, is working with Wallack and his team on organizing the supplies to get them into Cuba. Capponi has a “Humanitarian Pass” allowing him access into the country and making it possible for both himself and Wallack to arrange supplies to those in Cuba that need it most.
The supplies collected were donated solely by each participating business and their employees. Participating businesses included: Mango’s Tropical Cafe, Palace Cafe, Tides Hotel, Hotel Ocean, Finnegan’s Way, Ocean Plaza Hotel, De Soliel Hotel, 1500 Ocean Drive Condominiums, Dolce (formerly Billboard Live), Tequila Chicas, Nikki Beach, Rocca Donna Salon, Marriott South Beach, Lee-Ann Drugs, Bentley Hotel/Hilton, TGI Fridays, Park Central Hotel, Goldman Properties, Quinn’s Restaurant, Beacon Hotel, Irene Modeling Agency, Johnny Rockets, Ohfeo Retail Building, Wet Willie’s, News Café, Pelican Café, Fox Café, Caffe Milano, Fat Tuesday, Oceans 10, Clevelander Hotel, Former State Representative Elaine Bloom, Law firm Bilzin Sumberg, Brodson Construction, Sagamore Hotel, Transhire, Ohana Hostel, Taverna Opa and Barola Restaurant.
Actor Alex Castro and Mango’s Tropical Cafe owner David Wallack collect items for Hurricane Ike Victims in the Caribbean on Ocean Drive.
“It was a touching experience to see the generosity of all of these businesses,” said Castro, who drove the truck down Ocean Drive. “We collected almost two truck loads of items to send to the people in these countries that have lost everything.”
All supplies were taken to the Miami Beach Fire station by Castro, Wallack and the Mango’s staff where they will be distributed through appropriate channels.
