Jamaican Fundraiser Cookout Helps to Rebuild Homes

Yankee Rebel Tavern employees came together this Jamaican Independence Day Thursday, August 6, behind Murdick’s Fudge for a cookout to raise money for employees still grappling with the damages from Hurricane Melissa.

The hurricane landed in Jamaica in October 2025 and caused catastrophic damage. It was the strongest recorded hurricane to hit Jamaica, and the total damage and loss was estimated between $8 and $15 billion. At least 45 deaths in Jamaica were confirmed, with more than 626,000 total people affected.

Mackinac Island employs a large percentage of its workers through the H-2B visa program, which allows US employers to hire seasonal or temporary foreign workers. A lot of these workers are hosted from Jamaica, many of whom had to return home or find ways to support their families after the hurricane hit.

Yankee Rebel Tavern employees Shevel Coates and her sister, Bockesha Coates, were hit hard by the hurricane and lost everything. Their homes were on the border of St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, the westernmost part of Jamaica which was hit the hardest. They are still in the process of rebuilding their lives, and the money raised from the cookout went toward reconstructing their homes.

Food is prepared at the Jamaican Fundraiser Cookout Thursday, August 6. (Campbell Johns/Town Crier)

“A lot of people in Jamaica are still living under tarps. My home and my sister’s were both completely destroyed — there’s nothing, no furniture, no building, everything was gone. So this is to put toward helping build back up from scratch, and replacing our furniture,” Coates said.

The meals for purchase were cooked by Oran Townsend, who is also the Executive Chef at Yankee Rebel Tavern. Townsend helped to mobilize employees to organize for this cookout, knowing the necessity of this money.

“I’m the chef at the Yankee Rebel, and a couple of my employees lost everything in Jamaica. In order for me to help, I thought ‘Let’s have a barbecue so we can donate to your cause instead of just me working my hard-earned money and just giving it to you.’ We can make some money and help… when I cook food, people love me. So let’s try [getting people out] that way, and they can come and donate,” Townsend said.

Banana bread is sold at the Jamaican Fundraiser Cookout Thursday, August 6. (Campbell Johns/Town Crier)

Townsend also knows of the devastation still happening in Jamaica, and believes bringing the community together is the way to most effectively bring about change.

“A lot of people are still homeless and sleeping outside in tents right now, that’s how it is. The government is slow in helping out stuff, so whatever help they can get, it’s a plus,” Townsend said. “We’re not going to sit around and wait on the government. If we can go out and do some community event, we go out. We have to be rebuilt. Whatever we can do, we just go ahead and do it, we’re not waiting on the government.”

Food is served at the Jamaican Fundraiser Cookout Thursday, August 6. (Campbell Johns/Town Crier)

Townsend made traditional Jamaican cuisine for the cookout, such as oxtail, curried chicken, jerk pork, curry goat, rice and peas, tossed salad, and traditional Jamaican fish. The meals started at $35, and went up to $45. Employees and friends helped to serve the food. Islanders trickled in for lunch on their breaks, and some lingered to eat with one another.

By the end of the fundraiser, around $5,000 was raised for the Coates’ and their families. Both sisters felt great gratitude toward the Island for coming out and supporting the cookout.