Last week was the launch of a very dear project to me that’s been a long time coming - The Sandals Foundation. The philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, The Sandals Foundation, solidifies for us three decades of hard work and dedication in communities across the Caribbean. It’s all about educating, building, and protecting my backyard and your clients’ home away from home.

Take a look at some of my friends below, like Anita Stewart, the VP of Corporate Sponsorship from Sesame Workshop, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, the Honorable Bruce Golding, and, of course, our Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who came out to help plant some trees for a good cause and to support this monumental event on our private island, Sandals Cay at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

But it took a lot of planning to get the Foundation where it is today…..

One of the many stops along the way was a trip to Haiti to learn about a foundation called Population Services International (PSI), a non profit based in Washington, D.C. focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention and children’s health.

Wow! What an eye opener this trip was! It really struck a chord and made me stop and realize just how fortunate I am and how much we can make a difference if we hold hands and work together for a better Caribbean!

Helping the community and sitting next to tennis superstar, Anna Kournikova.

I made some new friends on my trip to Haiti.

You can bet that I will be posting more entries in the future about the Sandals Foundation, since it is such a dear project to me. In the meantime however, if you want to learn more, check out the Sandals Foundation Website. www.sandalsfoundation.org

This past weekend, I had a chance to enjoy first-hand some of the cool new features I’ve been working so hard to develop for our Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort.  And I must say, all the hard work paid off...Take a look at some of my pics, as I try to show the kids how it's done!!

Okay...so, it's harder than I thought!!!  But, by the smile on my face, you can tell it's definitely worth a try!