Bahamas News
Rowing Towards a Brighter Future: NRC and U.S. Embassy Donate Rowing Machines to Bahamian Youth Centers
The Bahamas, December 24, 2024 – The Nassau Rowing Club (NRC), in partnership with the U.S. Embassy and Concept2, donated two indoor rowing machines (ergometers, known as ergs) to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys and the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls. This
initiative provides the youth at these centers with new opportunities for physical activity and personal development through the sport of rowing.
U.S. rower Arshay Cooper inspired the donation during his visits in 2023 and 2024. Cooper, who overcame poverty and violence in Chicago through rowing, shared his story with the residents, motivating them with his journey from adversity to becoming a chef, author, filmmaker, and speaker.
Concept2, the leading manufacturer of rowing machines used by top collegiate and Olympic rowers worldwide, generously provided the ergs as part of their Pulling Together Grant Program. Kate Smith, Marketing Specialist at Concept2, expressed her enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to support the Nassau Rowing Club and the Bahamian rowing community with a donation of RowErgs. Growing the sport of rowing by increasing access and building our community is at the core of what we value most. We believe rowing is a lifelong sport that should be accessible to all, and the more we can support the good work of clubs like Nassau Rowing Club who share this vision, the better off the rowing community will be.”
Chargé Kimberly Furnish, Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy, who has a personal connection to rowing from her time at Winter Park High School and Tulane University, attended the donation event. She remarked, “The U.S. Embassy is honored to support the Nassau Rowing Club in their mission to bring the transformative power of rowing to young Bahamians. This partnership exemplifies the positive impact that sports can have on youth development and community building.”
NRC Head Coach Nick Rowett highlighted the club’s commitment to outreach through their Opportunities & Access Rowing Squad (OARS) program, which brings ergs to Bahamian government school students across the island. “We are dedicated to making rowing accessible to all students, regardless of their background. These donations significantly expand our reach and provide more opportunities for young people to engage in this sport.
Kyle Chea, President of Rowing Bahamas, the national governing body of rowing in The Bahamas, shared his vision: “By working with partners like the U.S. Embassy domestically, and Concept2 internationally, we can expand and deepen the positive impact of rowing on the physical, mental, and emotional health of young Bahamians no matter their circumstances.”
On hand for the presentation were Basil Johnson, Superintendent of the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys, Monique Greenslade, Superintendent of the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls, and Dominique McCartney-Russell, Director of Education.
Starting on December 23rd, NRC coaches will begin fortnightly indoor rowing sessions with both male and female residents. The club plans to use indoor rowing—and eventually rowing on the water—as a positive pathway to rehabilitation and assist with their transition out of the
centers.
Basil Johnson, Superintendent of the Simpson Penn Centre, commented on the initiative’s potential to foster discipline and resilience among the youth: “I believe the residents of the Simpson Penn Centre will benefit tremendously through the rowing training facilitated by the US Embassy and the Nassau Rowing Club. We are appreciative of this initiative. The residents are excited to learn this new skill of rowing and using their energy in a more positive way through sports.”
Nassau Rowing Club looks forward to expanding the OARS outreach initiative to as many government schools as possible through continued partnership with the Ministries of Education and Youth, Sports & Culture, along with its strategic partners.
For more information, please contact: Nassau Rowing Club
Email: info@nassaurowingclub.org Phone: +1 (242) 555-1234
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.
