Give a Hand to Rebuild Kiotari, Rhodes

On July 17, 2023, everyone was startled by the fierce forest fires in the Kiotari area on the Greek island of Rhodes. Kiotari, a small resort town, is now a household name infamous for this tragic occurrence. The past weeks have been filled with thousands of tourists evacuating resorts to seek a safe haven, locals retreating to other villages, saving what could be saved, and many local volunteers remaining to support the fire department in protecting their homeland.

The locals rely on tourism for their main source of income. Starting from May until October, many weeks of long working hours during this tourist season are needed to financially survive the winter period. The wild forest fires have taken away this opportunity, bringing financial burdens to the entire area.

The fire has also reached the village of Asklipio, a real traditional village. It consists of traditional Greek cottages built around the church. The oldest part of the church dates back to 1060 AD. The president of this church is a local Baltimore native George Hrisafina.

The residents of Asklipio and Kiotari area are in short-term need of food, water, clothing, and medical supplies. For the longer term, reconstruction of the village is a key to continue tourism.

In addition, the funds are needed to provide food for wild animals. There are a lot of deer in the area. Volunteers are setting up food and water stations for them.

People of Kiotari lost so much to the fire. We started this fundraiser to raise money to support the reconstruction of the area and to show people they are not alone dealing with these difficult times.

We are staying in the area until August 9. All the money raised by that date will be donated to the local church.