ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hundreds of people spent the weekend at Albert Whitted Park for the Tampa Bay International Carnival.
“There's so many different cultures, islands you name it from all over the world coming here to celebrate with us,” Jason Bryant with Tampa Bay International Carnival said.
Albert Whitted Park was filled with reggae tunes and flags making up different countries in the Caribbean.
“This is something, we need to add more diversity to the city events,” Bryant said.
Vendors from all over Florida set up shop to showcase the special dishes from their respective islands.
Lowe and Adrienne Boswell own Chef Pro. The couple said the key ingredient is staying true to their roots back in Panama and Jamaica.
“I was raised up in a Spanish country. I speak Spanish, yet my roots are from the Caribbean, so you can't take that away from me,” Lowe Boswell said.
Despite being miles away from home, the Boswells said they still felt the impact of Hurricane Beryl.
“One of the parishes that really got affected is Manchester. I spoke to them this morning. They still don't have electricity,” Adrienne Boswell said.
“Thank God our house, my childhood, home is secure. It's a newer home, but the neighbors, their roofs are gone.”
About two weeks ago, Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean, damaging homes with nearly two dozen people and counting already confirmed to have been killed as a result of the storm.
“I'm going back home at the end of this week. So, I'm going to put together care packages. I've been talking to family, and they want care packages,” Boswell said.
Donations were accepted during the carnival for hurricane victims to let families looking for relief in the Caribbean know they haven't been forgotten.
“Unless you're on the resort or the places where the tourist go you take another turn or two and you see how the people are really living there and they're not doing as well some of the other places there,” Bryant said.
They said this is not the time to turn a blind eye but to face the aftermath of this storm head-on.
There are restaurants in St. Pete, Gulfport and Tampa that will be accepting donations if you'd like to help.
Donations may be dropped off at several locations:
- Jerk Hut (Tampa)
- Pam Roti & Caribbean Grocery
- Island Flavors & Tings