Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/342647
10 Empowering Students In 2008, Crowley empowered students and local residents to help preserve Puerto Rico's waterways when it partnered with the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) Program and founded the environmental program, "Vigilantes del Estuario" (Watchmen of the Estuary). The community-based initiative was a straightforward concept: get students and local communities involved in studying the health of local waterways and changing behavior to reduce pollution. As the program sponsor, Crowley initially purchased 10 sophisticated limnological water- monitoring kits equipped with tools needed to test dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrate/phosphate, silica, pH and calcium/magnesium/total hardness. These kits were then made available to approximately 200 students from 10 area schools and communities including, Congregación Mita School in Río Piedras; Dr. Charles Mohler School in Guaynabo; Saint John's School in San Juan; Sagrado Corazón Academy in Santurce; Manuel Elsaburo School in Cantera; Martin Garcia Giusti School in Toa Baja; Pa' los Duros in Carolina; Corredor del Yaguazo in Cataño; Centro Sor Isolina Ferre in Caimito; and Escuela del Deporte in San Juan. Puerto Rico Strong Crowley was also readily available after Hurricane Georges made landfall in 1997. The Category 3 storm dumped upwards of 25 inches of rain across the island, claimed the lives of several Puerto Ricans and caused more than $2 billion in damages, including the complete loss of over 28,000 homes, 50 percent of crops and 96 percent of the island's electrical system. "Crowley was the only domestic line that kept an uninterrupted service to the island, bringing construction materials, supplies, water and medical aid from FEMA and other federal agencies," says Nazario. But Crowley doesn't only give back to the Puerto Rican community in times of need. Throughout its 60 years of continuous service to the island, Crowley and its employees have routinely donated time and money to various causes. The company has awarded numerous college scholarships to exceptional students on the island, since 1996 and has raised over $300,000 in charitable donations towards the fight against Spina Bifida. Crowley has also developed a strong relationship with the Puerto Rican government through the years. In 2010, Crowley played a pivotal role in the 21st Central American and Caribbean Games, a quadrennial, multi-sport regional championships event which took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. As the official ocean carrier of the Games, the company began delivering critical building materials needed to produce the event well ahead of the start date. Crowley also worked closely with the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico, COPUR) to develop and promote an island-wide advertising campaign for the Mayagüez Games highlighting two record-setting athletes, taekwondo superstar Asunción "Cookie" Ocasio and Luis Felipe "Tingui" Vargas, the most decorated gymnast in the history of Puerto Rico. "Showcasing the efforts and hard work our athletes achieve is fundamental to our organization," said Dr. David E. Bernier at the time, Puerto Rico's Olympic committee president. "Our goal of bringing recognition to these talented, and world-class athletes is accomplished with support from companies such as Crowley. Puerto Rico's Olympic committee feels extremely proud to have Crowley as part of our Olympic family." Crowley was the only domestic line that kept an uninterrupted service to the island to the island in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges.