PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Nature Foundation received a much needed donation of US $1,700 from Heineken St. Maarten this week, to continue with its conservation programmes.
The funds were raised through the sale of white “Enjoy Heineken Responsibly” bracelets during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in March 2009. “During the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, we wanted to raise exposure concerning the importance of keeping our island and its waters clean,” said Heineken St. Maarten Managing Director John Leone.
Leone noted that Heineken St. Maarten had started with the green “Meet You There” bracelets in 2006, followed up with “Serious ‘Clean’ Fun” bracelets in 2007 and “St. Maarten Heineken Regatta” bracelets in 2008. The company contributed white bracelets last year, he said.
He also noted that the company had received $10,000 through this programme over the years. “We are very happy that we were able to generate an additional $1,700 to give to the Nature Foundation. We hope we can continue to work together to find solutions that benefit the island’s natural environment for all to enjoy,” said Leone.
“We are extremely grateful for this contribution. The foundation is funded purely through grants and fundraising efforts. A donation like this makes a significant difference to the work we do.
“The natural environment is one of St. Maarten’s most important resources. Clean beaches, healthy seas and green hills are the reason why many of our visitors come here every year,” said Marisa Brandy of the Nature Foundation.
“It is everyone’s responsibility, from the individual to our government and from small businesses to large international corporations, to protect our natural resources and to conserve the beauty and biodiversity of our island for the benefit of current and future generations.”
Brandy said the foundation would use the money to cover the salaries of staff members, as the foundation was experiencing a severe financial crisis. “Nature Foundation is proud to partner with corporations like Heineken and is incredibly thankful for having Heineken St. Maarten as a positive working partner,” she said.
The foundation and Heineken St. Maarten also thanked Shipwreck Shops and the St. Maarten Yacht Club especially for merchandising these items, and individual volunteers for their efforts in selling these items during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
The bracelets for the 2010 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will be on sale soon. For more information on conservation projects in St. Maarten, contact the Nature Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tel. 542-0267.
In cooperation with St. Maarten Pride Foundation, Heineken St. Maarten also institutes a beach cleanup programme called bright beaches. This programme gives non-profit organisations that are willing to eliminate trash from our beaches access to funds Heineken St. Maarten has allocated from the sales of Heineken products, particularly Amstel Bright beer. For more information, persons can contact St. Maarten Pride Foundation.
