The Sandals Foundation Spreads Goodwill throughout the Caribbean

December 11, 2023 - Sandals Foundation - Jamaica

The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, participates in a variety of projects throughout the Caribbean every year. Whether supporting community, education or environment initiatives in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Antigua, Saint Lucia and Turks and Caicos, the Sandals Foundation takes every project enthusiastically under its arm, garnering financial support through donations and fundraising events. Here’s what the Sandals Foundation has been up to recently:

Sandals Foundation Awarded for Contribution to Dentistry in Jamaica: The Rosalie Warpeha Caribbean Institute for Strategic Planning and Research in Oral Health recently awarded the Sandals Foundation for its integration with Great Shape! Inc., which implements the ‘1000 Smiles’ program, the world’s largest humanitarian dental outreach initiative, aimed to improve dental hygiene and oral health awareness. Over 45,000 people in Jamaica have received dental treatments in result of the ‘1000 Smiles’ program, along with over 1,000 children who have been provided with sealants.

Children Across Jamaica Receive Sesame Street  “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me” Kits and Lessons to Help with Dental Hygiene: In an effort to boost dental hygiene awareness among children in Jamaica, The Sandals Foundation’s Oral Health Project conducted free dental screenings and handed out oral health kits to 2,600 students ages three to five across Jamaica. The kits, along with personal interaction with beloved Sesame Street characters, empower families with young children to make healthy choices that will have a positive impact on their oral health. Additionally, throughout September and October (Oral Health Month), the Sandals Foundation once again partnered with Great Shape! Inc. to bring the 1000 Smiles Dental Project, the world's largest humanitarian dental outreach initiative to Jamaica, and to provide free dental care and sealants for thousands of adults and children.

P.A.C.E. Foundation Raises Thousands of Dollars Through Sandals Foundation Partnership: The Sandals Foundation recently sponsored the annual P.A.C.E. (Providing Access to Continued Education) Foundation dinner and dance celebration at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island to raise funds for a brand new P.A.C.E. Foundation building in Nassau, Bahamas. The event successfully raised more than $13,000 towards the new building and its clinic, thrift shop and nursery. P.A.C.E.’s mission is to reduce the incidence of repeat pregnancy amongst teenage mothers and to improve the quality of life of teenage mothers and their babies who live on the island.

2,000 Children’s Lives Impacted through SuperKids Literacy Project: In a continuing effort to boost the curricula of 18 schools in Jamaica, close to 70 volunteers including certified teachers, college students, and computer technicians and artists from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, spent two weeks helping more than 2,000 children with their reading, comprehension and information skills. Through the efforts of Great Shape! Inc.’s SuperKids Literacy Project, the Sandals Foundation and the Ministry of Education, a total of 18 schools, including Early Childhood, Primary and High Schools across the island, were provided with computer labs, school uniforms and shoes, books and other needed school supplies for their students. Additionally, the program, which is now in its fourth year, also exposes teachers to new and exciting learning methods.

Sesame Workshop Partner Participates in Local Outreach Program: Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa was thrilled to recently host Anita Stewart, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partners & Business Development for Sesame Workshop. During her stay in Turks & Caicos, Stewart participated in the Sandals Foundation’s Reading Road Trip, a volunteer literacy enhancement program available to guests visiting Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts to help improve reading skills of local students of the Sandals Foundation’s adopted schools. Since 2004, Beaches Resorts has been a proud sponsor of Sesame Street sharing their core values and taking an active role in the success of families within the local communities in which they operate through philanthropic efforts via the Sandals Foundation.

The Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created to continue and to expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken.  It is the culmination of three decades of dedication to playing a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where they operate across the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment.   One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community. To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org.