Bahamas News
Lenny Kravitz donates $100,000 in Food Vouchers to Bahamas
#NASSAU, The Bahamas – June 24, 2020 –Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, commended Rock Legend Lenny Kravitz for Mr. Kravitz’s recent donation of $100,000 worth of food vouchers. The Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, was tasked with distributing the food vouchers.
Minister Campbell said it was his hope that the donation would inspire others “with the means to do so”– within The Bahamas and the wider Bahamian Diaspora around the globe — to follow suit.
An award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor, Mr. Kravitz made an initial donation of $50,000 in food vouchers to be distributed among persons in need in New Providence and Grand Bahama. The donation was made through Mr. Kravitz’s Let Love Rule Foundation.
Ms. Kim Sawyer, Deputy Director, Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, spearheaded oversight of the distribution process. Ms. Sawyer said officials focused on the most vulnerable populations — the elderly, persons from the community of persons with disabilities and persons with chronic, non-communicable illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease – as they require special diets.
Consultations were done in collaboration with the Senior Citizens Division, Disability Affairs Division, Community Support Services Division, Health Social Services and the Urban Renewal Commission, the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. Officials also consulted with counterparts at the Cancer Society.
Requests from certain groups operating Soup Kitchens that, because of the Emergency Orders relative to Curfews and Lock Downs could not operate in their usual manner, were also facilitated.
The Rock Legend made a second donation of $50,000 in food vouchers to be equally distributed between “persons in need” in New Providence and those in his “beloved” Eleuthera.
“The Bahamas is proud of Lenny’s many accomplishments, but we are even more proud of the fact that with all that he has accomplished, he has not forgotten his origin; that he still takes time out to champion causes in The Bahamas; that he still takes time out to ensure that our tourism product gets the attention that is necessary to cause our numbers to increase,” Minister Campbell said.
“But that is not enough for him. He helps not just with his talents, but also with his time and treasure and that deserves our appreciation. It is our hope that this would inspire persons at home who are able to, and others in the Diaspora around the globe, to come back home, to look back home, to send back home any sort of assistance that will lighten the burden on some, and that will inspire others to be the best that they can be.”
Minister Campbell said another fascinating aspect of Mr. Kravitz’s “amazing philanthropy” was the fact that the Rock Legend was hesitant about receiving publicity surrounding the multiple donations.
“As a matter of fact, we had to almost force him to allow us to thank him publicly because he did not want to receive any kind of public accolades, but the Bahamian people needed to know that he is helping in more ways than one. On behalf of the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, on behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas, on behalf of all of the persons that would have directly benefited from the donation, we wish to applaud his generosity,” Minister Campbell added.
Mr. Kravitz has officially served as the Ministry of Tourism’s Brand Ambassador since 2019, creatively collaborating and starring in The Ministry’s ‘Fly Away’, ‘Still Rockin’ and ‘From The Bahamas With Love’ campaigns. Tourism officials say his contributions to these campaigns have helped reveal the authentic spirit of The Bahamas as a destination of adventure and discovery. Both campaigns were well received globally.
The Ministry of Tourism and Aviation assisted with the coordination and logistics of the exercise. A statement issued by the Ministry said: “Mr. Kravitz is a true philanthropist and most of his charitable initiatives go unrecognized. He has been there for The Bahamas in our darkest hour. Lenny used star power to bring awareness of the dire situation in Grand Bahama and The Abacos immediately following Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.
“In addition, for many years through his Let Love Rule Foundation and the GLO Good Foundation, Lenny carried out a marathon dental service mission in the community of Gregory Town, Eleuthera, providing oral health care, education and tools to adults and children in need in order to provide the gift of a healthy smile.
“The Ministry of Tourism was delighted to assist in coordinating the logistics of this exercise which resulted in the Ministry simply handing over the vouchers to the Department of Social Services to carry out their critical work at this time.”
Deputy Director Sawyer said individuals and families benefited from the Kravitz donation “to be as fair and equitable as possible.” She too applauded Mr. Kravitz and his Foundation for their support, adding that the fall-out from the COVID-19 Pandemic has created new scenarios for both regular and new clients.
“It was a big help,” Ms. Sawyer said. “The three basic needs of mankind are: food, shelter and clothing, but food is the priority particularly when you have children or you have medical challenges and have to be placed a special diet. This donation, along with the assistance we were providing, allowed us to continue to address the immediate needs of those persons in need.”
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.
