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BAHAMAS: Education Minister Applauds Teen Author

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#Nassau, December 13, 2018 – Bahamas – The year just keeps getting better for new, young author Sierra Blair – her latest release appearing in the iconic Atlantis resort, a courtesy call with the Governor-General and now days away from her 15th birthday, high praise from high-ranking education officials during a one-on-one sit down and courtesy call at the Ministry of Education.

“It is more than exciting, it is impressive that we have such great young minds in our country like Sierra.  I am pleased that she has the encouragement of her parents.  Sierra is beautiful, very creative and also very courageous.  I am very impressed with the confidence that young people are expressing today and in particular, a young woman like her who is still in the precocious years of her life and demonstrating a certain ingenuity with her writing skills,” said Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd as he greeted the young writer and her mother on Monday.

He said he hoped Sierra’s writing would further inspire and motivate other students to utilize their literary gifts.  Sierra’s publications are a “clear demonstration that the gift is there, it’s only a matter of exploiting it and bringing it forth in our young people.”

According to acting deputy director of education Sharon Poitier both books possess tie-ins with the Ministry of Education’s curriculum.  “We could use them to integrate so many things:  language arts, the sciences and math in particular.  For our young people to see themselves in anyone’s writing is a wonderful opportunity.”

The young author captured media attention last year after launching her first book. The work co-authored with her mom, Tosheena Robinson-Blair.  Roman and His Mean Family is a 25-page picture book that depicts the rambunctious Roman labeling his family “mean” when he’s restrained from circumventing boundaries set for his own protection.  The book is considered to be ideal for teaching the concept of complying with boundaries to children six and under.

Her newest and independently published children’s book, Roman and the Pink Flamingos, is a colorfully illustrated tale of an encounter with pink flamingos at a bird sanctuary.  The children’s book series is inspired by Sierra’s three-year-old brother Roman.

“It’s been an amazing journey with this book.  It has brought me so many different opportunities.  This meeting with the Minister feels like an early birthday gift.  It went even better than I could imagine,” said the teenager, who celebrates her 15th birthday on December 19.

“It’s scary to bring something to the public that you’ve put a lot of work into and someone could very easily tear it apart and say, ‘It is not good enough.’   Although I have my family and others in my corner, to meet persons in power and get a positive feedback from them, makes me feel like I’m on the right path,” Sierra said.

The Education Minister challenged Sierra to be an example for her peers.  He urged the sophomore to be consistent, continuously press forward and not be distracted:  “What I find really wonderful about the book is it utilizes the experiences of Sierra’s own life, capturing the vagaries of her, her brother and her family.  We hope this would inspire others to share their stories.  This is beautiful. We are very, very proud of her.  I certainly hope our Bahamian children would take advantage of this offering by this wonderful young lady.”

 

Press Release: Ministry of Education

Photo Caption: Tenth grader Sierra Blair presents her books: Roman & His Mean Family and Roman and the Pink Flamingos to Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd and Acting Deputy Director of Education Curriculum and Instruction Sharon Poitier.  From left: Ms. Poitier, Minister Lloyd, Sierra and her mother Tosheena Robinson-Blair.

 

 

 

 

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Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

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 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival.                                                                                                                                                                              Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

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CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members.  Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine.  To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge.  In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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