Bahamas News
Disaster Preparedness Month opens with key message of preparedness from the Governor-General
By MATT MAURA, BIS
#TheBahamas, May 5, 2023 – Governor-General, the Most Hon. Sir Cornelius A. Smith, ON, led a group of officials responsible for Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Response, in-country, along with other key partners and stakeholders at the annual Church Service used to launch Disaster Preparedness Month, nation-wide.
The Service was held Sunday, April 30, 2023 at St. Agnes Anglican Church, Baillou Hill Road. Disaster Preparedness Month is commemorated during the month of May. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs June 1 through November 30.
His Excellency was joined by Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Response, the Hon. Myles K. LaRoda and Mrs. LaRoda; in addition to senior government officials including: Mr. Carl Smith; Mr. Alex Storr; Mrs. Isla Deane; Captain Stephen Russell; Mr. Aarone Sargent; and Mrs. Gayle Outten-Moncur; among many others.
His Excellency said commemorating Disaster Preparedness Month nation-wide was a great opportunity for citizens and residents across The Bahamas to ensure that their preparations are underway in advance of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, adding that there is no higher calling than to be prepared for any eventuality.
“What a wonderful occasion we have, what a great opportunity we have to be able to make the necessary
preparations for what we know could happen; what we know has happened in the past. I couldn’t be more serious when I say to the Church, when I say to communities all over our country, that there is no higher calling for all of us than to be prepared for any eventuality.”
His Excellency said his message of preparedness should resonate throughout all islands of The Bahamas, including New Providence.
“All of us can remember what has happened to our country, and to many of our communities, whether in Long Island (Joaquin 2015 that also brought damage to Acklins and Crooked Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay), or in Grand Bahama and Abaco (most recently 2019 Hurricane Dorian), or Eleuthera back in 1992 (Hurricane Andrew which also caused damage in Bimini and the Berry Islands), and if it happened to those areas, it could happen to New Providence. What will happen to our country if our capital city, where the seat of government resides, where the majority of our citizens live, and sadly where many of the homes are compromised, was affected by a major storm? This is serious my friends, let us take great care.”
The Governor-General also took the opportunity to encourage volunteerism at the national and community levels.
His Excellency said volunteerism, when combined with preparation, makes for a more responsive and resilient society.
“This the time to not only consider preparing for yourselves, but also being available to the various agencies, volunteering your time in the case there is an emergency where there is the need for hands. Be prepared to help your Brothers and your Sisters. We must be our Brothers’ and Sisters’ keeper. I encourage everybody to do your part so that if there is an emergency, we are in the best shape of being able to overcome it.”
Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Response, the Hon. Myles LaRoda, said citizens and residents also have an “obligation” to minimize the impacts of disasters such as hurricanes on themselves, their loved ones, properties and businesses.
“Over the past four years with the exception possibly of Nicole, we have fared pretty well, but as the Minister responsible, I have toured East Grand Bahama, I have toured Abaco and I can tell you that four years later those areas are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Dorian,” State-Minister LaRoda said.
“We must be prepared. That cannot be said enough. Also, those of us who are in a position of preparedness, we have
an obligation, a moral duty, to assist those who are not as fortunate,” State-Minister LaRoda added.
The Service took place at St. Agnes on a day the church community was celebrating Good Shepherd’s Sunday. Church Rector, Archdeacon Keith Cartwright, said it was not by accident that the service was held during its celebration of Good Shepherd’s Sunday as Hurricane/Disaster preparedness “is no joke.”
“It is by no accident that I believe the Lord has brought our special national committee here today. We (have to) be our neighbour’s keeper. We cannot, cannot, take natural disasters for granted. I just read recently of the unsettling news that the ocean’s temperatures are way up from normal. As you know, hurricanes get their gas from the heat coming from the ocean and so this is a very serious matter for us who live in places like The Bahamas – we cannot take this for granted,” Archdeacon Cartwright added.
(BIS Photos/Anthon Thompson)
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.
