Dear EAG Members and Friends,

We write to you to seek your assistance to assist one of the EAG family – Ashton Williams.

Ashton is a long-time member of the EAG, and he has served on the EAG Board of Directors for a number of years.  He has very recently been diagnosed with severe heart disease and must undergo triple by-pass surgery.  His wife and daughter have indicated that they are unable to meet the enormous cost of such an operation, estimated at $85,000 EC, and for this reason they are seeking assistance from the EAG. All fees have to be paid before the operation can take place – so “time is of the essence”!

Most of the EAG’s funding is tied to specific projects and their related activities. We are therefore appealing to the wider EAG community, including former members, to make a donation for Ashton’s medical expenses. Our appeal to you is based on Ashton’s faithful service to the EAG.  Ashton has contributed to the EAG’s programmes and activities over many years and in particular we would like to single out his contribution to the EAG’s Sea Turtle Conservation Programme, which has been in operation since 2009. He has regularly led patrols on our local beaches and spent many hours tagging hawksbill turtles and examining nests after the hatchlings have left, releasing trapped hatchlings and counting egg numbers.  He is also an experienced diver and has also been one of the EAG’s chief marine experts.  He was recently commissioned to survey and repair the mooring buoys in the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA) in a project managed by the EAG in collaboration with the Fisheries Division.

His attendance, quiet manner and thoughtful contributions to Board meetings can always be relied on and have helped the EAG greatly.

A contribution to the cost of this operation, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, will mean so much to Ashton, his family and his continued ability to contribute to the better management and conservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s environment.

Please make your contribution to the official Go Fund Me page for Ashton, which can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/ashtonmedical. If you have friends or colleagues who you think might be willing to contribute, do not hesitate to pass on the information to them.

We very much look forward to your generous contribution to Ashton’s recovery and will keep you informed of his progress.

Tahambay Smith (President) and the EAG Board of Directors