CULLODEN, Westmoreland — THE Sandals Foundation’s Annual Christmas Treats got going last Friday with over 80 students of the Culloden Early Childhood Institution in this parish receiving presents.

The event represented the first of 60 Christmas treats scheduled to take place throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean in the coming weeks.

The activities will be held in Kingston, St James, Hanover, St Ann, St Mary and Westmoreland and across the islands of Saint Lucia, Turks & Caicos; Bahamas and Antigua over the next few days.

Over 10,000 children will receive toys, while community institutions and infirmary patients will be treated with festive luncheons and donations. A number of Sandals’ executives including Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of SRI and President of the Board of Directors for the Sandals Foundation Adam Stewart, senior SRI executives and general managers from across the Caribbean and top travel agents from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were on hand at Culloden last Friday to kick start the ‘season of giving’.

During the treat, the students of the Culloden School received specially wrapped gifts and enjoyed lunch service provided by the visiting general managers and travel agents.

The travel agents engaged the children in fun reading, and art and craft activities. “Being a part of the Sandals Foundation is so rewarding,” said Terri Flood, owner of Escapes Unlimited and one of several agents who witnessed the Christmas Treat. “I went to this event hoping to give some of my time to children in need. What I didn’t expect is that I was the one who received the gift; the unconditional love that these children gave me will never be forgotten. They truly touched my heart and have given me a new perspective on what the Foundation provides,” she said.

Heidi Clarke, director of programmes at the Sandals Foundation, remarked on the significance of the treats leading up to Christmas Day.

“There are thousands of needy individuals across the Caribbean and it’s such a small way to help make a difference and bring a smile to those who may otherwise not have a reason to enjoy the holiday season. Whether it is giving a toy to a child who would normally go without or sharing a special lunch with the elderly, the Sandals Foundation is committed to bring cheer to those less fortunate,” she said.

Each year the Sandals Foundation launches an international Holiday Toy Drive inviting travel and industry partners, team members and the public to donate a toy to a needy child. This year, a successful “$10=$20” campaign was introduced which saw Sandals Resorts International making a matching donation for every US$10 received.

The Sandals Foundation — a non-profit organisation — 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 the hotel chain operates across the Caribbean.