Sandals Foundation Rallies Over 700 Volunteers Across the Caribbean for International Coastal Cleanup Day 

Continuing its mission to create and maintain a sense of environmental stewardship among community members, the Sandals Foundation rallied over seven hundred (700) volunteers across the Caribbean for the largest one-day volunteer event in the world – International Coastal Cleanup Day, marked annually on September 19. 

Here in Grenada, seventy (70) volunteers, including team members from Sandals Grenada, Grenada Airports Authority (GAA), McIntyre Bros. Limited, and students and teachers from Gateway Christian Academy, Calliste Government School, Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and the Limes Mennonite Primary School, gathered to complete cleanup activities along the Airport Top Road to Devil’s Bay.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at the Sandals Foundation, says,

“ICCD is a dedicated time where the world comes together to show solidarity and care for our oceans. We continue to support environmental stewardship through mobilizing members of our community, empowering them to take action in protecting our coastlines. Every action counts, and we are encouraged by the ongoing support and collaboration from our partners and community members who volunteer their time to take care of the spaces that we call home.”

Elana Beckett, Health, Safety & Environment Manager at the Grenada Airports Authority (GAA), commended the Sandals Team for organising this event,

“The event was extremely well organised from start to finish. This event not only helps us demonstrate our commitment to our sustainability objectives, but by directly removing litter from the environment, it has a meaningful impact on marine life, birds, and ecosystems. I commend Sandals for reaching out to the GAA, for valuing environmental responsibility, and for creating an opportunity for us to collaborate as a wider team.”

Rohan Louis, General Manager of Sandals Grenada commended the volunteers for their collective effort,

“Kudos to all the volunteers who came together and took action to remove more than 600 pounds of waste from our environment. Beyond the significant impact of the cleanup itself, I believe we have achieved our goal of heightening awareness of how our actions affect the natural environment. This is a message we continue to champion among our resort team and throughout the wider community.”

Since 2009, the Foundation has mobilized close to 200,000 persons in various environmental conservation efforts including marine sanctuary management, coral restoration, environmental education, and biodiversity conservation across the Caribbean.