Fundraiser for Puerto Rico Scheduled at Hanover Eatery

Hanover — Community volunteers will hold a fundraiser for hurricane-ravaged U.S. territory Puerto Rico from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Candela Tapas Lounge off Lebanon Street.

Hurricane Maria last month made landfall in the Caribbean island that is home to 3.5 million American citizens, and relief has been slow to arrive.

“Almost three weeks after this natural disaster, access to the most basic resources such as food, electricity and water is still limited in most areas,” a news release from The Upper Valley Solidarity Network for Puerto Rico said.

This network, along with the Buena Gente Social Club and volunteers from Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock, is inviting community members to Candela on Sunday for an afternoon of food, drink and Latin music.

A $50 donation at the door buys refreshments and one raffle ticket. All proceeds go to Iniciativa Comunitaria, a Puerto Rican aid organization that serves vulnerable populations in the capital, San Juan, and other communities.

Organizers in their release thanked the owner of Candela, James Van Kirk, and chef Angel del Ruiz — both of whom are Puerto Rican — for donating the restaurant’s space and food to the fundraiser.

“It’s fun, but it’s for a good cause,” Van Kirk said, adding later, “people down there are hurting, and they need help.”