Positive actions have arrived since the releases of Hulu and Netflix’s documentaries, including a GoFundMe dedicated to raising money for the Bahamian people who were never paid for their services.
The release of Netflix’s FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened introduced Maryann Rolle, a caterer who worked for Billy McFarland to feed those planning the festival. Rolle stated in the documentary how she was forced to dip into her savings which totaled $50,000, to pay staff after never receiving compensation from the festival’s creators.
It’s a stark reminder of how influencers like Kendall Jenner were paid ($250,000) in comparison to those who didn’t get paid at all.
“I had ten persons working directly with me, just preparing food all day and all night, 24 hours,” Rolle said. “I had to literally pay all those people. I am here as a Bahamian and they stand in my face every day.”
Both a co-owner and caterer of the Exuma Point Resort with her husband, Rolle pleads for help in the GoFundMe’s bio, expressing that she had worked to create “no less than 1,000 meals per day” back in April 2017 and has since never received a dime.
“As I make this plea it’s hard to believe and embarrassing to admit that I was not paid…I was left in a big hole! My life was changed forever, and my credit was ruined by Fyre Fest,” Rolle and her husband, Elvis, wrote. “My only resource today is to appeal for help,” the couple wrote.
With the foundation’s original goal set at $123,000, the campaign has made nearly $138,000 in seven days with the help of 4,286 donations.
The Fyre Festival was originally meant to be a VIP destination music event housing acts like G.O.O.D Music and Major Lazer, but the fiesta turned out to be a fiasco with unfurnished tents and an estimated $27.4 million scam against investors.
Donate to the Exuma Point GoFundMe here.
