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Acting Prime Minister Cooper leads delegation to Abaco

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#Abaco, The Bahamas, November 11, 2022 – Acting Prime Minister, the Hon. Chester Cooper, Thursday (November 10) led a delegation of Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Official Opposition, Senior Government Officials, NEMA officials and Disaster Risk Reduction managers from New Providence to Abaco in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Nicole.

Acting Prime Minister Cooper said the presence of the full team of government officials in Abaco, was an indication of the Government’s commitment to, and support of, all citizens of The Bahamas who may have been placed in vulnerable positions.

The delegation was accompanied by Initial Damage Assessment teams. Initial Damage Assessments are conducted in the immediate aftermath of a storm, hurricane, disaster or a potential disaster, to gauge the impacts of the event.

“We will continue to do some assessments but so far, so good. It looks like we have been spared from the worst of it,” Mr. Cooper said, following a stop at the Friendship Tabernacle Church, which served as a shelter, and accommodated more than 200 persons. The Church is headed by Pastor Silbert Mills, and was one of several shelters the team visited.

“Having gone through Nicole, we recognize that we are a resilient people; our infrastructure is fairly resilient as well. We have been protected for the most part, having not seen any serious damage or injuries or fatalities.

“We are grateful to Pastor Mills, the local community, and Local Government. During times like these, we come together, we rally together and support each other, that is what we do as Bahamians; we remember our assignment to be our Brother’s Keeper and I think that is how we are able to persevere. That is what is keeping us strong and protected as a people working together.”

The Acting Prime Minister said while there is an additional need for investment in infrastructure, in addition to the Port, and an “ever-pressing need for more housing” in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the Administration has been making “significant efforts” through the Department of Housing to address the housing needs left behind in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

“We still have some government employees, civil servants, who are living in the trailers nearby the Government Complex. We know that we have been making significant efforts through the Ministry of Housing/Department of Housing and my colleague Coleby-Davis (Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis) has been doing a great work to really do PPPs (Public Private Partnerships), but being here today and seeing the number of persons who still live in the trailers is a reminder of the large quantity of housing required here and the government will continue to put its efforts behind these initiatives,” Mr. Cooper said.

“I think that is what is going to really catapult the growth, the rebirth, the re-development of Abaco, is when we can find places for workers to live. People can return home and contribute positively to the overall economy.”

With regards to the need for additional investment in infrastructure, the Acting Prime Minister said: “We have looked at some of the infrastructure here, there is need for some upgrades. We continue to do repairs to the airport since Hurricane Dorian. We are pressing forward there. We are going to move the Air Traffic Control Tower to a different location, the professionals determined that it ought not to be built where it is so that is a project we are working on. Other remedial works, Parliamentary Secretary (John) Pinder has been driving for us and we continue to press forward to bring it back up to standard.”

Acting Prime Cooper reported that the tourism product remains strong on Abaco and that the country’s overall tourism product should meet or exceed 2019 levels when the country welcomed 7.249Million air and sea visitors to its shores.

“We are posting very, very strong numbers for tourism,” Mr. Cooper said. “I suspect that this year we are going to meet or exceed 2019 levels, the Stop-over numbers in particular look really good. The message to the world is that Nicole has passed and we are open for business. This is the message that we have sent during our missions. Sometimes you watch Weather Channel or international media and there is a hurricane in Abaco or Grand Bahama and you are thinking The Bahamas is destroyed, but we sent a message that we are a sixteen-island destination and even during the worst of Hurricane Dorian, we still had 14 vibrant destinations that people could visit.

“There is always some anxiety about hurricanes and this is why September/October tend to be slow months because people are very concerned about hurricanes but the message will be that Nicole has passed, we have an “All Clear”, there has been very minimal damage to the tourism infrastructure and the infrastructure on the whole and we are ready to welcome more guests here,” Acting Prime Minister Cooper added.

 

(BIS Photos/Anthon Thompson)

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Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

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.

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 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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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!

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CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

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.

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