Drone footage of the T.S. Kennedy’s departure today to provide relief for hurricane victims. 

Today, under the command of Captain Joseph S. Murphy, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy training ship T.S. Kennedy set sail for Houston Texas. The Kennedy will serve as temporary housing for between 400 to 600 emergency relief workers. Hot on her stern SUNY Maritime College’s training ship T.S. Empire State VI is now loading up her cargo holds with emergency supplies for her journey south. She is also accepting donations which will be put on pallets and loaded into the ship’s cargo hold for the voyage to Houston. 

In a letter sent to Alumni tonight the President of SUNY Maritime – Rear Admiral Michael Alfultis, USMS – calls for donations:

Later this week, we will bid fair winds and following seas to the Empire State VI as she makes her way to Texas to aid the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

I am proud that our ship is able to make a difference in Texas by providing housing, power, food and water to relief workers, but I am also proud of the incredible response from many of you, asking what you can do to help.

Maritime College, in partnership with all 64 of the SUNY campuses, is accepting monetary donations that will be used to buy pallets of the most-needed goods to give to relief organizations in Texas.
Students will be collecting donations under the Mess Deck all week during meals, beginning with dinner tonight. On-campus monetary donations may also be dropped off in the Office of Student Affairs in Baylis Hall.

For those who are unable to come to campus, you can make a donation online here. One hundred percent of all money raised will be used to purchase supplies to aid the recovery efforts.

For more information about the ship’s activation and the donation drive, please click here to read an announcement from the governor’s office.

Sincerely,
RADM Michael Alfultis, USMS, Ph.D.
President
State University of New York, Maritime College
6 Pennyfield Avenue – Fort Schuyler
Throggs Neck, New York 10465