Sandals Foundation & Flight Centre Canada Host the Caribbean's Largest Community Outreach Program

The work of the Sandals Foundation, our charitable arm focused on uplifting and improving the Caribbean in the three areas of community, education and environment, is something that is really dear to my heart. I am firmly convinced that there is so much that we can all do to make a difference in these islands that have given so much to me, to my family and to every single person who’s ever enjoyed the beauty and culture of the region.

That’s why I was so thrilled recently when we joined together with Flight Centre Canada, one of the world’s leading travel consultants, to launch a massive, weeklong initiative, involving several separate projects throughout Turks & Caicos, designed to help clean and green the island and spruce up many of its schools and community areas. You can’t imagine the excitement that was in the air on the day that we kicked everything off. Along with teams from the Sandals Foundation, close to 400 management personnel from Flight Centre Canada headed out across Providenciales and began pouring all of their time, effort and enthusiasm into this really worthy causes.

It was really inspiring to watch and be a part of something that was so big, yet so organized and so successful. Some of the projects we worked on included repairing and rebuilding a conch farm; creating a brand new playground and reading garden at a local Primary School; establishing an outdoor, landscaped study area at the High School; planting trees at the Frenchman’s Creek Nature Preserve; and constructing a new basketball court facility for the local kids to enjoy. If you want to learn more about all of the amazing initiatives that are part of this program, please log on to www.sandalsfoundation.org and take a look!

Aside from their unbelievable contribution of time and muscle power to aid the Sandals Foundation in supporting and uplifting Turks & Caicos, Flight Centre also donated $50,000 USD to the Foundation to help us with our goal of making the Caribbean region a better place to live, work and play. As Flight Centre President Greg Dixon said so well: “Working on these projects gave us a chance to give back to the destinations that help us make a living. Our hope is that we are leaving a legacy and starting a trend that will last for years to come.”

I have literally been blown away by people’s commitment to charity and their community spirit. In fact, just the other day two guests at Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica—husband and wife, Freddie and Mitzi Rick from West Virginia—were so psyched about our mission that they wrote a check for $5,000 to the Sandals Foundation! With incredible acts of generosity like this, I firmly believe that, together with the Sandals Foundation, we are on our way to making sure that great things lie ahead for the Caribbean.

Here I am with 250 fired-up managers from Flight Centre Canada, as we get ready to go out there and make a difference in Turks & Caicos!

A smiling Flight Centre manager gets her hands dirty as she plants a reading garden for the students of Clement Howell High School.

A big thumbs-up from a Flight Centre Canada volunteer, as he and his 32-member team help to rebuild the world’s only conch farm, which was destroyed by two major hurricanes.

Check out the big smile as this Flight Centre crew member does her part to install and beautify a new recreation area for the kids at the Osetta Jolly Primary School.

Flight Centre Canada President Greg Dixon presented the Sandals Foundation with a much-appreciated check for $50,000. As you can see from our happy faces we both know just how much good this money will do throughout the Caribbean.

You won’t find a more generous couple than Mitzi and Freddie Rick from West Virginia. These two Royal Plantation guests simply donated $5,000 to the Sandals Foundation out of the goodness of their hearts!