Bahamas News
Grand Bahama Port Authority Supports Dedication of the Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter
Freeport, Grand Bahama – June 10, 2024 – The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), led by Acting Chairman Sarah St. George, proudly joined the Freeport Seventh-Day Adventist Church for the dedication of the Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter. This event marks a significant milestone in enhancing the island’s resilience and preparedness for future storms, occurring almost a week into the start of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season.
The Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter is the first and only dedicated purpose-built hurricane shelter in The Bahamas. The 4,200 sq ft multi-purpose facility, located at Beachway and Gambier Drive, can accommodate 300 people during a storm. It features restrooms, showers, an industrial kitchen, a water well, and a generator. The shelter was constructed at a cost of over $500,000, funded through donations from the government, local and international private donors, and NGOs.
Sarah St. George delivered heartfelt remarks during the ceremony, emphasizing the remarkable resilience of Grand Bahamians and the contributions of the GBPA and the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation (GBDRF) to hurricane recovery efforts.
“Today, we honor the legacy of Sister Evangeline and Sister Alicia Jervis Garland, whose dedication to feeding and clothing the needy
has inspired this project,” said St. George. “Our $25,000 donation was used to purchase and install a state-of-the-art generator, ensuring the shelter’s resilience during storms. Additionally, another $21,000 was contributed by the Hayward and St. George families.”
The project has seen its estimated $855,000 cost reduced by nearly 25% through discounts and volunteer work, with expenditures currently at $520,000. The final phase includes the installation of air conditioning, a fire safety system, and furnishings such as cots, chairs, tables, and kitchenware, requiring an additional $100,000.
“Today’s event prompted me to reflect on GBPA’s lessons in resilience,” added St. George. “In 2016, we established the GB Disaster Relief Foundation to address the humanitarian crisis after Hurricane Matthew. This foundation played a crucial role during Hurricane Dorian in 2019, providing essential supplies and support to the vulnerable, including the elderly, disabled, and single mothers.”
During Hurricane Dorian, the foundation provided generators, food, water, and tools island-wide for months. They also assisted 120 churches from East to West with the help of Pastor Eddie Victor. The foundation partnered with SBP and Rotary Muck and Gut to repair 350 homes across the island, spending close to $2 million on rebuilds and furnishings.
“While we continued to rebuild from Dorian, Covid-19 struck, compounding our emergency response with hurricane recovery amid a global pandemic,” St. George remarked. “During COVID, our foundation donated $100,000 to various feeding programs while GBPA extended support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the RISE program, with Partners which provided $4 million in grants to 400 businesses.”
St. George emphasized the GBPA’s unwavering commitment to the community, stating, “100% of the funds collected by the Grand Bahama Port Authority go back into our community. No dividends have ever been paid to shareholders out of the GBPA. Our executives, managers, dedicated employees, and shareholders have always gone the extra mile to support Grand Bahamians. We love this community and this is our home. We are happy to serve, and we do it to the best of our ability.”
The GBPA’s efforts during crises, including hurricane preparedness and recovery, highlight the organization’s dedication to serving and supporting the community. St. George concluded, “Freeport is about growing our community together. The name Evangeline means ‘Good News Shining,’ and in that spirit, you can count on us at GBPA to help you get this magnificent shelter finished.”
Photos:
Header: Rupert Hayward, Director of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, received a token of appreciation prior to touring the new Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter in Grand Bahama. The Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter is the first and only dedicated purpose-built hurricane shelter in The Bahamas. The Hayward and St. George families also contributed an additional $21,000 to the shelter.
Insert: Executives of the Grand Bahama Port Authority in attendance at the dedication of the Evangeline Jervis Hurricane Shelter, demonstrating their steadfast commitment to the well-being and resilience of Grand Bahama.
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.
