Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Social Services stockpiles supplies for its role in Dorian relief effort
#Nassau, September 4, 2019 – Bahamas – Officials at the Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, have been stockpiling emergency supplies since Friday (August 30) ahead of the massive relief effort expected to be undertaken in the Northern Bahamas in the wake of the monster Hurricane Dorian.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, who gave the mobilization order more than 96 hours ago, said statistics from the 2010 Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics, indicate that more than 73,000 persons and 20,000 homes could be impacted by Dorian which battered islands of the Northern Bahamas as a Category 5 Hurricane – primarily Grand Bahama and Abaco.
Minister Campbell said Social Work staff across The Bahamas have been placed on full alert in order to facilitate the role of management of the relief effort in the Northern Bahamas, once the initial assessments have been completed and the ‘all clear’ has been given for Emergency Responders to safely operate in the impacted areas.
“This is a massive and unprecedented relief and recovery effort solely because Dorian turned out to be a mammoth and unprecedented Hurricane,” Minister Campbell said. “But despite its status, the reality is that we are going to have to hit the ground running, working in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and our other partners to ensure that our response is immediate, efficient and effective.
“Emergency packages have already been put together by staff of the Department of Social Services for the affected islands and include food items, canned goods, non-perishable items, water, hygiene supplies – things that we know our people will need in those first few hours, first few days.
“We are just waiting for the all clear. We are just awaiting to be assured the aircraft that will be used to channel immediate relief to our people can land; the vessels that will be used to ship immediate relief to our people can dock in the affected islands, and these items will be on their way,” Minister Campbell added.
Minister Campbell said based on the sample size of images on the potential extent of the damage caused by Dorian: “it is almost certain that there will be a significant housing need.” He said government planners will make determinations as to whether temporary shelters can be housed on the impacted islands, or transported elsewhere for shelter.
“For those who have no family or friends to take them in, we are going to have to extend shelter in the short term and then move into our mid-to-long term plan.”
Minister Campbell said the Ministry and its various Departments and Divisions, are “absolute” in giving its best duty with regards to the role they will be required to play as part of the overarching response to Hurricane Dorian
“As I always indicate, we are a part of the before, during and after team. We would have started our preparations before the Hurricane Season approached, identifying shelters, putting teams in place and working along with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as an Emergency Support Function (ESF). All of the respective islands affected by the Hurricane had their shelters and shelter teams in place.
“The second phase of our role would be the ‘during’ which would cover shelter management; although some of the buildings were compromised as a result of the unprecedented magnitude of the Hurricane, we were able to successfully transfer them [persons] to other secure spaces. Persons who made their way to our shelters, we can account for them and they were cared for.
“But while we still have people in shelters, you would see that we are also preparing for the next phase — which is the aftermath,” Minister Campbell said.
By Matt Maura
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, receives a progress report on the stockpiling of relief supplies from senior staff of the Department of Social Services Monday afternoon. Pictured (from left) are: Assistant Directors, Department of Social Services, Mr. Wrensworth Butler and Mrs. Chereley Kelly. Also pictured is Mrs. Lillian Quant-Forbes, Director, the Department of Social Services whose back is to the camera.
Insert: First Responders from the Royal Bahamas Police Force arriving at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium with two shelter seekers Monday afternoon. Shelter Management Team Members from the Department of Social Services were on hand to receive the two ladies. (BIS Photo/Matt Maura)
(BIS Photo/Matt Maura)
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.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
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!
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.
