SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 13, 2019, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund ("Relief Fund") directly handed out $1,000 Payoneer® prepaid cards to approximately 4,000 families in Puerto Rico who are still recovering after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island.
Howard Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald Chairman & CEO, arrives at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum ahead of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund's Puerto Rico Family Relief Program.
Carmen Yulin Cruz, San Juan Mayor, addresses volunteers at the Puerto Rico Family Relief Program hosted by the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.
Volunteers at the Puerto Rico Family Relief Program in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Howard Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald Chairman & CEO, Edie Lutnick, President of Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and Allison Lutnick, Director of Disaster Relief Efforts, are photographed with students and administrators of the San Gabriel School of the Deaf.
More than 200 volunteers from Cantor Fitzgerald and its affiliate companies BGC Partners and Newmark Knight Frank, along with New York community volunteers and clients from Banco Santander and Scotiabank, distributed $4 million at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Relief Fund worked directly with the office of Carmen Yulin Cruz, San Juan Mayor, to organize the effort and identify the families in need.
"This was a day of healing for hundreds of families. What Cantor Fitzgerald did was much more than providing much needed financial assistance, they gave these families hope and respect. Moreover, they told us with a humbling attitude that they shared in our pain and in the commitment that we will overcome this challenging period. Words cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel towards such a beautiful gesture of kindness," said Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.
"Puerto Rican families have endured tremendous hardship since the hurricanes, and we are honored to be able to help and be a part of the recovery process," said Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. and BGC Partners, Inc. "Providing financial support directly to families and being able to speak with the parents and children is extremely humbling and heartening."
"It's so important to not forget those affected when time has passed," added Edie Lutnick, President of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. "The Relief Fund was formed out of the 9/11 tragedy, enabling us to continue to provide financial aid directly to the families of the Cantor Fitzgerald employees who were sadly lost that day. As we expanded the Relief Fund to directly help victims of natural disasters, we want to remind our neighbors in Puerto Rico that they are still in our hearts and minds as they continue their recovery efforts."
Allison Lutnick, Director of Disaster Relief Operations, Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund said, "As soon as we learned about the unimaginable destruction caused by the hurricanes in Puerto Rico, we immediately started planning our family relief program. This incredible effort was a year-and-a-half in the making, and to see it come to fruition by directly providing financial assistance to approximately 4000 young families in need was such a meaningful experience for the 200 volunteers involved, and one that will remain forever in our hearts and minds."
The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund sincerely thanks the following individuals and companies for their generosity and support: John Paulson, David J. Barger, United Airlines, Payoneer®, Serafina Beach Hotel, MultiVu, Print Icon, Scarborough & Tweed, BLS Limousine Service, Jacks & Jokers, and KAUFMANFRANCO.
About the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund On September 11, 2001, 658 Cantor Fitzgerald friends and colleagues and 61 Eurobrokers employees were lost in the World Trade Center terrorist attack. The families left behind struggled not only with the death of their loved ones but with insurance legalities that prevented them from receiving the financial support they desperately needed.
On September 14, 2001, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund ("Relief Fund"), was formed with an initial donation of $1 million from Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners Chairman and CEO, Howard Lutnick.
Mr. Lutnick and the Firm's partners underwrote 100 percent of the expenses of the Relief Fund so that every penny of its income was paid out to those in need. In addition to the families of Cantor Fitzgerald's employees who were lost on 9/11, the Relief Fund also assisted family members of World Trade Center victims from 14 other companies. The Relief Fund raised and distributed over $180 million to over 800 families and 932 children of the victims of this tragedy.
Since 9/11, the Relief Fund has expanded its scope to assist families impacted by natural disasters and emergencies, including Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX, the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, Superstorm Sandy in NY, Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, the tsunami of 2004 and the Haiti Earthquake. The Relief Fund also works to assist wounded members of the U.S. military. Since its inception, it has distributed over $336 million.
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