Event professionals gathered at the Sandals Luxury Store in London for a night of fundraising for two charities supporting ill children in the
Caribbean.
The event formed part of a fundraising initiative which has a
target of £100,000 and includes a sponsored 100 kilometre run around the Caribbean
Island of Antigua.
The event at the store featured music from SongDivision,
magic from David “Magic Man” Harris, a steel pan band, a raffle, and an
auction.
Attendees bid for prizes including a signed Arsenal football
shirt, a cricket bat signed by Antigua sporting legend Sir Vivian Richards, a
seven-night holiday at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa in a butler
suite with flights from British Airways, tickets to see Cirque De Solei in a
box at the Royal Albert Hall, and more.
Paul Tidy, senior manager for specialist markets, Unique
Vacations UK (Sandals), says, “We’re delighted with the turnout for the event
last night. Everyone’s generous donations and bids at the auction helped us
raise over £10,000 for charity, bringing our total to over £74,800! We’re
confident that we’ll be able to hit our £100,000 goal but we’d love anyone who
wasn’t able to join us last night to make a donation if they can. I’d like to
say a huge thank you to our sponsors and supporters for donating some amazing
auction prizes and for making the event possible.”
The inaugural Sandals Foundation Island Run – Antigua takes
place from 11 – 14October 2023. A group of runners including Graeme
Saunders, senior manager for groups and MICE, Unique Vacations UK, will be
running a half marathon every day, a total distance of 100 kilometres over four
days. Saunders and the team will endure the heat and will cover most of the
island including some of its most famous sights – the Sir Vivian Richard’s
Cricket Stadium, English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard.
The event aims to run £100,000 for two of the Sandals Foundation’s
long-term beneficiaries, the SickKids Caribbean Initiative and the Paediatric
Unit of Mount St. John's Medical Centre in Antigua. The money raised will be
used to fund essential medical equipment and resources to help treat sick children
with cancer and other illnesses and to help premature babies.
Saunders, who came up with the idea for the Island Run, said: “I’ve done a few half marathons in my time
including the Liverpool half and the Great North Run but never anything in
these sorts of conditions. To say I am nervous is an understatement. I wanted
to challenge myself and push my body to the limit whilst raising money to help
those less fortunate than I am.”
Find more information about The Sandals Foundation Island Run
– Antigua 2023 here and donate here.
