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NEMA gets 10,000 meals-a-day assistance from RCCL for storm recovery

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#Freeport, GB, September 6, 2019 – Bahamas – International supplies for the residents of Grand Bahama who had been devastated by Hurricane Dorian began arriving in today, as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line brought in 10,000 cooked meals and water, along with boat loads of other food items and supplies.

Members of the international press were on hand for the arrival of the goods at the Freeport Harbour on Thursday morning.

“This is a coordinated effort on between Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and NEMA in Grand Bahama to assist victims of Hurricane Dorian disaster,” said President of the Senate, the Hon. Katherine Forbes-Smith, who is assisting the Government and NEMA in their restoration efforts.

“Royal Caribbean is one of our international partners who has had a working relationship with The Bahamas for some 40 years. So, they wanted to reach out and do what they could to assist Grand Bahama during this time.”

According to Alex De Roeck of Royal Caribbean, the effort is not a one-time affair.

“We will be delivering these 10,000 meals every day during the duration of this effort to be of service to the Grand Bahamian people,” said De Roeck, who works in hotel operations, RCCL Miami. “We will be diverting our cruise ships to this port every day to ensure that this effort continues.

“What will be happening is, we will provide the items and deliver them, but local Emergency officials will decide where they are to be delivered and distributed.

Thursday’s delivery of food items and supplies was accomplished by the Empress of the Seas.  Because of the possibility of debris in the water, the cruise ship did not dock at the harbor, but out to sea, where tug boats loaded the supplies and delivered them to waiting trucks on the dock.

Alex noted that this kind of humanitarian effort is a part of Royal Caribbean’s operational profile. Adding that the relationship between Royal Caribbean and the Bahamas has been a long, established one. “So, we try to reinvest in the local community and also try to assist that community when things like this happens.

“Because we have this long relationship with the islands, we want to do our part to support them and to get them back on their feet.”

While Royal Caribbean has most of its ships ported in Nassau, Alex said that the cruise line will use a different ship each day to make the trip to Grand Bahama to deliver the 10,000 meals.

He added that the company is seeking to set up a feeding kitchen on the island, but said that option was not concrete, as they have to work with NEMA to discuss the feasibility and location of such a kitchen.

Other items being donated by Royal Caribbean – in addition to the meals – include generators, blankets, towels, tissue, cereals, canned goods and other dry goods.

The joint effort was one which Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson had made mention of during his live update on ZNS on Wednesday evening, when he noted that a number of international companies, corporations and individuals have expressed their interest in doing what they can to assist Grand Bahama during this time of natural disaster.

“We have been in contact with many of those people and there is a huge desire by our international friends to do what they can to help us,” Minister Thompson said on Wednesday night. “Through NEMA, we are organizing to properly bring in the aid that is being offered and to ensure that they are properly distributed to the residents of Grand Bahama.”       

Minister Thompson, along with Deputy Prime Minister, K. Peter Turnquest and other Parliamentary representatives are all working with NEMA (GB) in the effort to help restore Grand Bahama following the devastation by Hurricane Dorian on Monday, September 1, 2019.

Packing winds of 185 miles per hour Hurricane Dorian pounded Grand Bahama for two days as its movement slowed down considerably over the island. Many residents lost their homes due to flooding and high winds.

Once the all clear had been given on Wednesday, September 4, NEMA and the Emergency Center have been busy with the work of restoration of the island.

By Andrew Coakley

Release: BIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Crew Members of Empress of the Seas cruise ship help to unload food items delivered to Grand Bahama as a part of relief efforts following devastation by Hurricane Dorian. In addition to dry goods, water, generators, blankets, etc, RCCL also delivered 10,000 cooked meals for residents of Grand Bahama.

1st Insert: President of the Senate, Kay Forbes-Smith (center, pink blouse), along with Tammy Mitchell from NEMA (left) look over the list of items expected to be delivered to Grand Bahama on behalf of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, which arrived on the island on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at Freeport Harbour.  At left, is a team of volunteers from RCCL, who helped to unload the items.

2nd Insert: Crew members and workers of Freeport Harbour helped to unload water donated to NEMA from RCCL as a part of Hurricane Relief efforts.

BIS Photos/Andrew Coakley

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Bahamas News

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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