Crossroads Center
| Crossroads Center | |
|---|---|
| place | Freetown |
| Country | Antigua and Barbuda |
| Coordinates | 17 ° 2 '20 " N , 61 ° 43' 33" W |
| management | Eric Clapton • Richard Conte |
| beds | 36 |
| areas of expertise | Alcohol and drug rehabilitation |
| founding | 1997 |
| Website | crossroadsantigua.org |
The Crossroads Center is a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug addicts on Willoughby Bay near Freetown , Antigua. It was founded in 1997 by British rock musician Eric Clapton . In order to financially support the house, Clapton organized several charity events.
history
The center was inspired by Clapton's own experiences as an alcoholic and drug addict. In a letter, Clapton explains, “For many years I have visited Antigua, the beautiful Caribbean island in the heart of the West Indies . Antigua has always been a special place of escape - a safe place, a serene place where anyone can begin the process of healing from even the worst moments and life situations. As a former alcoholic and drug addict, many people have approached me over the years about the problems of alcohol and drug addiction on the island. Since 1993 I've talked more and more to people about starting a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug addicts on the island. The need for it was finally there and so a dream and vision was born. My vision was to create a center of the highest caliber for rehabilitation for local and international visitors. The center would be equipped with highly qualified, international experts; the costs are kept as low as possible and courses for prevention are held. My vision became a reality and Crossroads opened its doors in 1998. Since then, the center quickly gained an international reputation as an excellent rehabilitation center […] ”.
Foundation and construction
Clapton co-founded the center with Richard Conte, Chief Executive Officer of The Priory Hospitals Group in London and Transitional Hospitals Corporation in Nevada . Clapton, Conte and two other employees from the institutions mentioned took care of the entire development of the Crossroads Center . Clapton and Conte formed the board of directors with Conte as president . The company Transitional put the entire capital for the construction of the center only and has two-thirds of the center. Clapton owns the remaining one-third. Antigua's then Prime Minister Lester Bird ensured low land prices, good quality roads and useful facilities along them. Clapton contributed around five million US dollars in the construction of the center.
financing
The cost of building the center was estimated at $ 7 million. Clapton contributed around five million US dollars at the start of construction. Shortly after the center opened in 1998, Clapton auctioned the first part of his guitar and amplifier collection on June 24, 1999 at Christie's auction house . The USD 5,072,350 achieved there benefited the center. On October 26 of the same year, Clapton released the DVD and VHS In Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Center at Antigua , a concert film with excerpts from his charity concert on June 30, 1999 in Madison Square Garden . The ticket and video sales also went to the center. With two further auctions in 2004 (7,438,624 US dollars) and 2011 (2.2 million US dollars), Clapton contributed a further 9.7 million US dollars to the center. To provide further financial support, Clapton is organizing the Crossroads Guitar Festival . Until 2013, Clapton supported the center with more than 20 million US dollars and sends an amount of 1.5 million US dollars to the center every year. The concerts grossed $ 19.5 million for the center from 1999 to 2010.
Individual evidence
- ↑ To Eric Clapton signed shovel from the Crossroads Center groundbreaking. Bonhams , May 5, 2014, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ^ Eric Clapton: History of Crossroads Center, Antigua. (No longer available online.) Crossroads Center, archived from the original on August 16, 2015 ; Retrieved July 5, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Mark Fineman: Clapton's New Riff: Rehab 'Robin Hood' of Antigua. Los Angeles Times , March 29, 1998, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton Guitars - Fine Art Auction - Search Results. Christie's, June 24, 1999, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ↑ June 30, 1999 - Eric Clapton & Friends. Where's Eric !, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ↑ Crossroads Guitar Auction - Fine Art Auction - Search Results. Christie's, June 24, 2004, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ↑ Katya Kazakina: Clapton Raises $ 2.2 Million for Rehab Center, Guitar Prices Soar. Bloomberg Business , March 10, 2011, accessed July 5, 2015 .
- ↑ a b James C. McKinley Jr .: Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival, Aiding Drug Center. The New York Times , April 11, 2013, accessed July 5, 2015 .
