“The Kerzner familyﾒs wish to further Butch’s compassion for the people of The Bahamas and especially the children, is one that we, as a company, embrace dearly,” the company’s Acting CEO Paul O’ Neil said in a statement.
“We will work side by side with the family to properly pay tribute to this bright, passionate and visionary man.”
Butch Kerzner, 42, was one of four persons killed when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a building on the Dominican Republic’s tourist resort city of Puerto Plata on Wednesday.
Mr. Kerzner was surveying development sites on the island.
His wife Vanessa and two young children survive him.
A day after his tragic death, the Kerzner family revealed plans to honour his memory with the establishment of the Butch Kerzner Memorial Fund.
Company officials said on Monday the Kerzner family will work together with Prime Minister Perry Christie to ensure the funds are used to reconstruct parks and playing fields and to upgrade school facilities throughout The Bahamas.
The son of investor Sol Kerzner, Butch Kerzner held the number two position behind his fatherﾒs chairmanship of the operation that owns the mystical themed Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island and many other destination tourism businesses around the world.
Prime Minister Christie said on the night of Mr. Kerzner’s death that Butch Kerzner went beyond simply developing the Kerzner project in The Bahamas.
“He demonstrated a new level of corporate spirit in the building of parks in New Providence and involvement in the refurbishment of homes,” Mr. Christie told reporters.
“Also in terms of the humanity of writing a cheque for one million dollars after Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne for the Hurricane Relief Fund and most recently, committing himself and his organization to developing new beach experiences for Bahamians.”
Among the company’s community projects, Kerzner International donated funds towards the construction of a swimming complex for St. Anne’s School in Fox Hill.
“Butch Kerzner was guest speaker at the Careers’ Week. At the end of the session, he sat with the class of 2006 and explained to them how he came to be so involved in the hotel industry and how he had a passion for what he was doing,” the school’s principal, Cynthia Wells, told the Bahama Journal on Monday.
“He encouraged them to find their passion; to find what they enjoy doing because it was the only way they would be successful in life. He also shared with them the fact that although he was making a lot of money, [his love for his job] was the reason he was doing this. The dream that he had for Atlantis, for the Bahamian children was because he saw something in them.”
The Kerzner family plans to honour Butch’s wishes that no memorial service be held.
Donations can be made by check to The Butch Kerzner Memorial Fund, c/o Kerzner International, Executive Offices, Coral Towers, Paradise Island, The Bahamas or c/o Kerzner International, 730 Fifth Avenue, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
