Sandals team continues Whitehouse beach clean-up efforts
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Team members from the Sandals Resorts Montego Bay region today cleared over 500 pounds of garbage from a section of the beach and sidewalks in the Whitehouse community located in neighbouring parish, Westmoreland. The initiative formed part of the company’s continued community assistance and engagement activities.
The labour of love was a collaboration between three environmental groups at Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean, namely the Sandals public relations team, Earth Guardians and the Sandals Foundation ambassadors.
The team started their efforts at the crack of dawn, combing the community beach for plastic bottles, paper and plastic supplies, as well as disposable masks among other debris.
Sandals regional public relations manager for Montego Bay, Ian Spencer, who led the team, cited the close collaboration between the resort chain and the community as the motivation behind the initiative.
“We have been working in close collaboration with members of the Whitehouse community for many years and normally stage a beach and community clean-up twice per year. The last clean-up was staged in July but we saw the need and began organising the activity over a week ago and now we are happy to be back,” Spencer said.
Sandals, Spencer said, is cognisant of the fact that it has a major role to play in assisting neighbouring communities in maintaining a clean and healthy environment, “which is why we are so happy to be able to rid the beach and roadside of debris”.
Victor England, a long-time Whitehouse resident and one of the prominent figures in the community, in lauding the resort group, said, “Sandals Resorts and Sandals Foundation are always there to assist the community of Whitehouse. Any time we call upon them they are ready to assist, whether it is giving the students school supplies, upgrading the school, handing out toys for Christmas, or whatever the need may be. We are happy to have them as neighbours.”
Spencer disclosed that the Sandals Foundation had recently, in association with the school board and Airport Authorities, assisted in having the Whitehouse Early Childhood Centre compliant with the Ministry of Education’s protocols for reopening. He said the students were now being engaged in face to face classes, and the facility was also equipped with hand washing sinks and supplies to fight COVID-19.