Tampa family wants to raise $1-million for Puerto Rico

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The CEO of one of Puerto Rico's largest employers is from Tampa, and he's doing everything he can to keep his company and his employees focused on rebuilding after Hurricane Maria.

Jim O'Drobinak and his wife Liana fell in love with the island several years ago when Jim took charge of M.C.S., a large health insurance company with headquarters in San Juan. They were there when Hurricane Maria roared through.

"We were in a bunker-type home, but we thought the windows were going to go," recalled Liana.

She and their youngest son hitched a ride on a cargo plane headed back to Tampa while Jim stayed in Puerto Rico, adapting their company headquarters to meet the needs of their 1,700 employees.

"The conditions at home were so poor that we decided to feed them every day. And because their children are out of school, we're providing day care," Liana continued.

To bring help to others in Puerto Rico, they decided to set up the non-profit M.C.S Foundation. "The company is going to match every dollar donated one-to-one, up to $500,000. Our goal is to reach a million dollars to help the recovery efforts on the island," explained Liana.

She says she expects thousands of people will leave the island and many will come to Florida, but she says they hope to make a difference in the recovery so that more will stay.

"We want the island to survive and thrive and those people are really important to the future of Puerto Rico," Liana added.

Their website for more information and donations is www.greenforpuertorico.org.