We have joined forces with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada to improve the outcomes for children affected by paediatric cancers and serious blood disorders in the Caribbean. The Caribbean-SickKids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project is being introduced in six Caribbean countries and will facilitate training for health professionals, consultation and diagnostic expertise, and expanding access to treatment and care. We have committed US$50,000 to the training of nurses in this programme.

Through the Sandals Foundation, the Whitehall High School female soccer team all the way from Pennsylvania, USA, donated 40 backpacks filled with school supplies, along with two suitcases of books and teaching supplies to Willikies Primary School.

The team also donated 16 soccer balls, 14 uniforms, two dozen socks, 40 pairs of cleats and a pop up goal to the Antigua and Barbuda women’s national soccer teams. Meanwhile, Whitehall’s goalkeeper, Kelsey Himmelwright, saved more than a dozen of her jerseys to be included in the donation.

“I love soccer but the highlight of my trip was definitely the visit to Willikies Primary School because I realised that you can make a difference in the lives of children and when I saw how happy they were after receiving our donation, it warmed my heart,” said Jenny Davis, captain of the high school team.

Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes of the Sandals Foundation, expressed gratitude for the generosity which has been shown by these young ladies.

“Each donation of books and school supplies that is made through the Sandals Foundation contributes to educational development in the Caribbean. We thank the Whitehall High School team for their donation and admire them for their determination to give back,” Clarke said.

The girls, who range in age from 14 to 18 years old, worked tirelessly and raised more than US$7000 for the trip. They sold hoagies, made numerous calls soliciting sponsorship and even canvassed businesses. When members of the corporate community were unable to help them with funds, they asked for a donation of school supplies.

“The girls were determined to raise the funds and many of them sacrificed their time to ensure that this trip could become a reality,” commented Jennifer Donscesz, President of VIP Vacations and one of the chaperones alongside the team’s coach, George Romano, and Robert Hartman, Athletics Director.

The team, who stayed at Grand Pineapple Beach Resort from April 26 – 29, had an exciting itinerary, which included a tour of Antigua, a hosted dinner, training sessions, and matches against the national female under-17 and under-20 soccer teams.

Following the tremendous success of this trip, the Whitehall soccer team is hoping to make this trip an annual event.

April 28, 2013 – Ecstatic Cedar Grove Primary School students witnessed the reopening of their school library, a project that was funded by the Sandals Foundation.

In her address to the audience – which included the Acting Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs, the Honourable Winston Williams Jr. – Anne Harewood George spoke on behalf of the Sandals Foundation at the opening ceremony and explained how the collaboration between individuals and organisations made the library a reality.

“From the talented artist who painted these murals to the contractor who built these bookshelves to Hands Across the Sea and the guests at Sandals Grande Antigua who donated hundreds of books, this initiative was certainly a team effort.

“It was done in the spirit of community because we recognise the importance of literacy to the development of our nation’s youth,” she asserted.

During his remarks, the Minister noted the significance of libraries in a highly technological era.

“I hope that students at Cedar Grove Primary School will learn to cherish reading because not only is it critical to their education, it is also a confidence booster and it facilitates invaluable leadership qualities that will enable them to succeed in life,” Williams Jr. commented.

Two years ago, the library was in complete disarray with old books, broken shelves and barren walls. It has now been transformed into a bright and airy environment with brand new reading materials, decorative artwork and enough seating for each class to have a weekly library period.

Cedar Grove Primary School Principal, Angella James expressed her gratitude to the Sandals Foundation and noted that the new library will be run by student librarians.

“I can assure you that this library will be well taken care of and my hope is for it to become the epicenter of learning at our school,” James said.

The Sandals Foundation has spearheaded a number of educational initiatives in Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean; a popular one being the weekly Reading Road Trip. This ‘voluntourism’ trip enables guests from Sandals Grande Antigua and Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts to tutor and read to children between the ages of five and seven at Cedar Grove Primary and Willikies Primary Schools, both of which have been adopted by the Sandals Foundation.

April 24, 2013 – Throughout the month of April, 2,000 students and Sandals Resorts guests were exposed to some of the unique aquatic ecosystems in the Caribbean, and taught the importance of the preservation of marine life.

In keeping with its mandate to protect and preserve the environment, the Sandals Foundation observed the entire month of April as Marine Awareness Month, which encompassed Sandals Resorts Reunion Week activities and the globally-recognised Earth Day.

“The Sandals Foundation undertakes sustainable projects that fall under the headings of community, education and environment,” said Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes of the Sandals Foundation. “We take preservation of our environment very seriously as so many livelihoods in the Caribbean depend on it.

“This month-long education campaign was implemented to bring awareness to students and our community members of how we, as well many throughout the world, depend on coral reefs and marine life,” she continued.

To promote on-going awareness, the Sandals Foundation – through its partnership with the Releaf Environmental Awareness Programme Competition (REAP) in Schools – contributed to educational posters on coral reefs that were handed out to 70 schools this month. The Foundation also organised more than 20 outreach activities across the islands of Antigua, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, The Turks and Caicos Islands and Jamaica. These included tours of the Boscobel and Whitehouse marine sanctuaries in Jamaica; the Soufriere Marine Park in St. Lucia; the Bonefish Pond wetlands in The Bahamas; and hands-on lessons covering the significance of reef balls in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“The trip to the Soufriere Marine Park brought parts of our Social Studies and Science curricula alive in a very practical way,” said Delia Alcindor-Charles, Principal of Gros Islet Secondary School in St. Lucia. “This first-hand approach has been argued by some as one of the best strategies in teaching and learning.”

During Sandals Resorts’ Reunion Week, marine-oriented Reading Road Trips were organised for guests to visit primary and secondary schools. Meanwhile on Earth Day, students at nine schools participated in a variety of exercises including quiz competitions; interactive sessions such as puzzles; and dramatic presentations. The aim of these activities was to bring awareness to the benefits of coral reefs and the threats they face.

“It is very important that corporate Jamaica puts on programmes like these to educate young people about the importance of preserving our natural environment,” said Captain Leighton Burnett of Support and Service Battalion Jamaica Combined Cadet Force.

In keeping with its commitment to environmental preservation, the Sandals Foundation fully supports marine education and awareness in the communities where Sandals and Beaches Resorts operate. The Foundation has engaged in managing marine sanctuaries, promoting awareness of the invasive lionfish specifies, and investing in turtle and conch conservation.

Additionally, the Foundation is working on developing environmental stewardship in Caribbean communities and schools through lessons, fieldtrips such as the Ride to Save the Wetlands, and its partnership with REAP, which includes establishing environmental clubs in schools.

April 16, 2013 – More than 60 independent agents and staff with Foresters™ Canada helped upgrade the facilities at the Leonora Morris Basic School in St. James with a US$15,000 donation of supplies and materials.

The volunteers were in Jamaica as part of Foresters Delivering the Difference program which aims to improve the quality of life in communities that host the annual Foresters Canada Elite Conference for qualifying agents. Foresters Canada worked with the Sandals Foundation which helped to select the project, coordinate and facilitate work on-site.

“Foresters Delivering the Difference program supports our mission of improving the well-being of families and communities,” says Sharon Giffen, President and CEO, Foresters Canada. “This program provides our sales partners with a rewarding opportunity to contribute to something that will serve local children long after we leave.”

Students at the Leonora Morris Basic School (formerly the Happy Venture Basic School), will enjoy a refresh of the interior with fresh coats of paint, new shelving units, cubbies and a colorful mural that will beautify the school. Volunteers worked to improve playground equipment and install a new play house, sandbox, eating shed and picnic tables on the school property.

“The Sandals Foundation is privileged to once again work alongside Foresters in order to benefit the children of the Caribbean. One of the most important aspects of hosting volunteers is to ensure that we are addressing a need rather than creating one. Through the combination of efforts, we ensure this and at the end of the day the partnership we have with Foresters enhances educational facilities and inspires our children,” said Heidi Clarke, the Sandals Foundation’s Director of Programmes.

The Sandals Foundation hands over the newly refurbished restrooms to the Windsor Castle All-Age School in Portland. The refurbishment project valued at $1.2 million includes new toilets, tiles, cubicles, roofing, electrical wiring and plumbing.

The upgrades were necessary following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In this photo, Karen Zacca, Projects Coordinator of the Sandals Foundation, seals the handover with Alton Dekid, Education officer in the Ministry of Education.

Joining in the occasion are the school’s principal, Claudet Brimm-Layne (far right); Gloria Minott Silver, Buff Bay Division Councillor (2nd left); teachers and students of Windsor Castle All-Age.

In observing April as Marine Awareness Month, the Sandals Foundation has planned a number of exciting and informative activities that are open to guests, who are interested in environmental outreach.

The Sandals Foundation has arranged for guests and Sandals volunteer team members to visit schools and impart marine lessons in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril, Whitehouse, Nassau, St. Lucia and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In keeping with its commitment to environmental preservation, the Sandals Foundation has thrown its support behind marine education and awareness in the communities where Sandals and Beaches Resorts operate. The philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International has engaged in managing marine sanctuaries, promoting awareness of the invasive lionfish specifies, and investing in turtle and conch conservation.

Additionally, the Foundation is working on developing environmental stewardship in Caribbean communities and schools through lessons, fieldtrips such as the Ride to Save the Wetlands, and its partnership with the Re-Leaf Environmental Awareness Program (REAP) to establish environmental clubs in schools.

Reunion Week (April 1 – 5)
• Negril: Marine-oriented Reading Road Trip, April 3
• Whitehouse: Marine-oriented Reading Road Trip, April 3
• Ocho Rios: Clean-up of Fisherman’s Beach Thursday, April 4
• Montego Bay: Marine-oriented Reading Road Trip, April 4
• Nassau: Ride to Save the Wetlands, April 4
• St. Lucia: Marine awareness trip to Soufriere Marine Park, April 4

Earth Day (April 22)

The Sandals Foundation has arranged for guests and Sandals volunteer team members to visit schools and impart marine lessons in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril, Whitehouse, Nassau, St. Lucia and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The cost for each guest participating in any of the Reunion Week and Earth Day activities is US$20 per person. Due to the Earth Day trips to a number of schools on April 22, the Reading Road Trip will not take place on Thursday, April 25.

“Last year, hundreds of our team members and guests came out and supported our Earth Day activities, such as planting vegetable gardens at our adopted schools for roughly 2,500 children. We also planted trees in the Dunn’s River Watershed in Jamaica and cleaned up an illegal dumping site in St. Lucia,” noted Heidi Clarke, Director of Programs of the Sandals Foundation. “The participants and our team members are crucial to the success of our projects, so we encourage as many of our guests to come out this year and take part in these wonderful initiatives.”

In keeping with its commitment to environmental preservation, the Sandals Foundation has thrown its support behind marine education and awareness in the communities where Sandals and Beaches Resorts operate. The philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International has engaged in managing marine sanctuaries, promoting awareness of the invasive lionfish specifies, and investing in turtle and conch conservation.

Additionally, the Foundation is working on developing environmental stewardship in Caribbean communities and schools through lessons, field trips such as the Ride to Save the Wetlands, and its partnership with the Re-Leaf Environmental Awareness Program (REAP) to establish environmental clubs in schools.

Additionally, Adam Stewart, President of the Sandals Foundation, was named Ambassador of the project along with Paul Lee-Chin, financial advisor with Manulife Securities in Canada and son of noted philanthropist, Michael Lee-Chin.

This new outreach intitative, which falls under the Global Child Health Programme, was launched in Toronto, Canada on February 14. It aims to improve diagnoses and outcomes for children affected by paediatric cancers and serious blood disorders in the Caribbean. The project will help build health care capacity in six Caribbean countries by training health professionals, providing consultation and diagnostic expertise, and developing and expanding access to treatment and supportive care. The goal is to expand access to world-leading medical professionals allowing children to get the best care possible in their own countries.

In charting the way forward for the project, participants and organisersrecently convened at the Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios ahead of a reception in Jamaica at the Canadian High Commission on Tuesday, March 19.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this project because it will help provide more effective treatment for kids with cancer in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean,” said Dr. Michelle Reece-Mills, who is now Jamaica’s only trained physician specialising in children’s cancer and blood disorders. “For Jamaica’s population, we need at least six or seven paediatric oncologists. I’m starting to see more interest in paediatric oncology from our residents and we hope to have more doctors involved in this project. ”

Reece-Mills was trained at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), a teaching and research hospital associated with the University of Toronto and continues to work with SickKids in learning how to treat paediatric cancers.

SickKids is committed to raising CA$8 million over the next five years in support of the project, which is being introduced in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, The Bahamas and Jamaica.

“Unfortunately, children in the Caribbean are not offered the same opportunities in areas of education and health as children in developed nations, but given the same opportunities they could realise their potential,” said Adam Stewart, President of the Sandals Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International.

He continued: “This project means a lot to me because of the impact it will have, offering thousands of children a chance at survival. This is an invaluable opportunity for our children and our region.”

Colin Hennigar, Associate Director of Major Gifts at SickKids Foundation, noted the importance of having donors on board.

“The support of donors is essential to the success of this project,” he asserted. “By engaging communities both in Canada and in the Caribbean, we hope to show the collaborative nature of the project, both in terms of sharing medical expertise, but also in providing the financial backing to make this project a reality.”

The Sandals Foundation, in keeping with its mandate to support the growth and development of Caribbean communities, is committed to SickKids as it moves to boost the survival rate in the Caribbean, which is estimated to be between 50 to 60 per cent, to that of Canada’s, which is between 80 and 90 per cent.

“Many of the requests for help we get at the Foundation are from children who face mortality at too young an age,” said Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes of the Sandals Foundation. “Too many times, we have heard from parents that they have been taking their children to the doctor for years, where they have been wrongly diagnosed, when truthfully, the child has had cancer undetected that perhaps could have been treated. ”

“We plan to continue partnering with SickKids through additional funding and hosting fundraisers in Jamaica, St. Lucia and The Bahamas. These fundraisers will also help to increase awareness, adding value to this project,” she said.

In celebration of its 30th Anniversary Season, America’s most popular television game show, Wheel of Fortune, has pledged 30 bricks to the Sandals Foundation’s Buy a Brick program.

During a trip to Sandals Grande Riviera, Heidi Clarke, director of programs for the Sandals Foundation showed Wheel of Fortune hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White one of 30 commemorative bricks now displayed on a wall at Parry Town Primary School.

The donation will go towards assisting the Parry Town Primary School located in St. Ann, Jamaica where the funds will be used to purchase a commercial printer for the school as well as upgrading its bathroom facilities. Viewers can tune in to see the presentation on Wheel of Fortune during “Sandals Resorts Week” airing the week of March 11.