Fri | Mar 20, 2026

RAL distributing emergency cots to municipalities out west

Published:Friday | March 20, 2026 | 12:06 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
From left: Michael Whittaker, physical planner at the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC); Naudia Crosskill, the StJMC’s chief executive officer; Lisa Lake, group chief executive officer of Restaurant Associates Limited (RAL); Richard Vernon, mayor of
Contributed
From left: Michael Whittaker, physical planner at the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC); Naudia Crosskill, the StJMC’s chief executive officer; Lisa Lake, group chief executive officer of Restaurant Associates Limited (RAL); Richard Vernon, mayor of Montego Bay and chairman of the StJMC; Michael Lake, director of RAL; and Ricardo Miller, the StJMC’s acting disaster preparedness coordinator, take part in the formal handover of 100 emergency cots from the Lake Group to the StJMC on Monday.

WESTERN BUREAU:

As part of its ongoing efforts to assist residents in the county of Cornwall who were severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, Restaurant Associates Limited (RAL) has donated 300 emergency portable cots to three municipal corporations in the region, with plans to distribute an additional 600.

The St James, Trelawny, and St Ann municipal corporations were each presented with 100 cots. Each cot is valued at J$14,000. All three municipal corporations got their cots on March 16.

Of the remaining 600 cots, the Westmoreland and St Elizabeth Municipal Corporations will each receive 200, the Hanover Municipal Corporation will get 100, and the remaining 100 will be distributed to RAL employees who were affected by the hurricane, which impacted Jamaica on October 28 last year.

RAL, which operates the Burger King, Popeyes, Little Caesars, and Krispy Kreme restaurant franchises, said its donation is in response to post-Melissa needs.

Lisa Lake, RAL’s group chief executive officer, told The Gleaner that the organisation’s cot distribution and other outreach initiatives post-Melissa were prompted by the visible need of residents, including the company’s employees, who were affected by the storm.

“As a company deeply rooted in the communities we serve, we felt a responsibility to act,” she said. “When Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of western Jamaica, we knew that beyond our core business, there was a role for us to play in the recovery – both directly with our team members and more broadly in the community.

“Over the months, we have been involved in a number of initiatives, from cash support for affected staff to food donations and rebuilding efforts. We saw that something as simple as a comfortable place to sleep during a crisis had become a luxury for many, and we felt that that was a practical, meaningful place to step in.

“This is really an extension of who we are as a company.”

She added: “Recovery takes time, and we also need to prepare for future disasters. We are glad we can play even a small part in that process.”

Meanwhile, following formal presentation at the St James Municipal Corporation, Montego Bays Mayor Richard Vernon, who is also chairman of the corporation, said the presentation was a timely one ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which will begins on June 1.

“The St James Municipal Corporation is deeply appreciative of the steadfast commitment demonstrated by our corporate community in the post-Melissa recovery and reconstruction process. The generous donation of 100 cots to the corporation will significantly reinforce our shelter capacity as we continue to navigate recovery efforts and prepare for the imminent 2026 Atlantic hurricane season,” said Vernon.

“We remain grateful for this partnership and look forward to continued collaboration with our stakeholders in advancing the development of our city and municipality,” he added.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com