Bahamas News
Newly Formed Agricultural Development Organization Gifts $300,000 to Bahamas Feeding Network
#TheBahamas, February 4, 2022 – During a press conference to announce the newly formed Agricultural Development Organization (ADO), executives presented a $300,000 donation to the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) to be used for funding of its food parcel initiative. On hand at the Assemblies of God church to make the presentation were executives from BFN and ADO.
“It gives me great pleasure to present this donation to my good friend Rev. Lester Ferguson to aid in Bahamas Feeding Network’s continued work,” said executive chairman and former executive director of BFN, Philip Smith. “As you know, the Bahamas Feeding Network was a huge part of my life for the past 13 years and it was during that time I saw, firsthand, the gap in our being able to feed ourselves. We realize that food sustainability through agriculture won’t happen immediately so we have to continue to assist organizations like BFN in their efforts.”
The funds were provided to the Agricultural Development Organization as part of a $1.1M donation previously gifted by FTX Digital Markets, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in The Bahamas, with the intent of it being used to ‘directly support individuals and initiatives to raise awareness and provide resources to address food insecurity throughout The Bahamas’.
“The Bahamas Feeding Network is thankful to the Agricultural Development Organization for this significant
donation to help us fight hunger,” said Rev. Lester Ferguson, executive director, Bahamas Feeding Network. “ADO’s contribution today is a wonderful example of the important role that community partners across all sectors can play in helping to address issues of hunger and malnutrition. While our nation’s economic activity is beginning to pick up, there are still many families who face unemployment, homelessness and hunger. Many families and many of our network feeding center partners will benefit from this generous gift. On behalf of our Chairman, Felix Stubbs, thank you for making a huge impact today; we look forward to our continued partnership.”
With nearly 90 percent of food being imported into the country at an estimated annual price tag of $1.4 billion, food security and sustainability has been in the spotlight with both major governing party administrations standing firmly behind the newly implemented policy which encourages hotels, restaurants and food stores to source 40 percent of all food locally.
On what’s next for the Organization whose mission is to make ‘self-sustaining food supply a reality for The Bahamas’, Smith shared.
“We are currently in the research stages and are getting a better idea of some of the challenges that farmers face. We believe any problems the farmers have can be categorized into one of the 15 committees we’ve formed. For example, we understand that funding is a major impediment for those in agriculture so the Capital for Farmers Committee was established to create finance solutions. There is approximately $700,000 in funding that came from FTX to assist farmers and we look forward to monitoring the impact the agricultural sector will have on the economy.”
Members of the Agricultural Development Organization’s Steering Committee include Philip Smith and Co-Chairs Micheal Bayley, President, Royal Caribbean International; Karen Casey, President, Sysco Bahamas; Ryan Salame, CEO, FTX Digital Markets and Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Founder, Bedford Baker Group. Special Committees members include Michelle Lodge, Peter Andrews, Buck Ross, Clayton Smith, Shawn Smith, Tyrone Fowler, Dwayne Deveaux, Patricia Minnis, Cleare Hepburn, Pastor Eileen Johnson, Cleola Pinder, Caron Shepherd, Rupert Roberts, Clifton Fernander, Leonardo Lightbourne, Dion Smith, Pastor Dave Burrows, Pastor Pat Paul, Ashley Cooper, Shomekahn Cargill, Olga Munroe, Lillian Quant, Ricardo Richardson, Tanya Rahming, Keisha Ellis, Diane Phillips, Patrice Bullard, Dr. Patricia Johnson, Claire Hepburn, Prince Rahming and Tangela Albury.
Photo Caption: Executives of the newly formed Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) present a $300,000 donation to the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) to be used for funding of its food parcel initiative. Pictured l-r: Peter Andrews, ADO committee member; Nekia Brice, ADO general manager; Karen Casey, ADO co-chair; Philip Smith, ADO executive chairman and Rev. Lester Ferguson, Bahamas Feeding Network executive director and Diane Phillips, ADO committee member.
(Photo by Donald Knowles for DPA.)
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.
