New Jersey Town Raises Money for Rockport, Texas
The seaside city of Belmar, New Jersey raised over $50,000 over Labor Day weekend for Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey.
KXAN, citing the Associated Press, reports that Belmar authorities suspended beach access and parking fees last weekend and instead asked for donations to help Rockport, Texas recover from Harvey.
Donation boxes posted at beach access points raised $56,000, and Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said $6,000 in committed donations are expected to be collected this week. Doherty will, at his own expense, travel to Rockport to deliver the money to Mayor C.J. Wax.
According to a report from a news station in the Belmar area (embedded below), beach-side restaurant DJ's Bar & Grill will donate the proceeds of a $5 cover charge they implemented over the weekend.
Belmar officials were scheduled to adopt a measure Tuesday that would link Belmar and Rockport together as sister cities.
Doherty said Rockport is similar in size to Belmar, and that memories of the damage his town received during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 prompted the donation drive.