The Philanthropic Arm of Sandals® and Beaches® Resorts Teams Up with Toy Industry Leaders to Spread Smiles Across Nine Caribbean Islands
This holiday season, the simple joy of opening a new toy is reaching tens of thousands of children across the Caribbean through an annual toy drive led by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. With the support of toy industry leaders Spin Master, Jazwares, and The Toy Foundation™, 45,000 toys will be delivered, marking the Foundation’s largest toy drive to date.
“The holidays are about hope, the kind that reassures every child that they are seen, valued, and deeply loved, and we’re incredibly grateful to all the partners and volunteers who have been part of this legacy of giving over the years,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation.
For more than a decade, the Sandals Foundation’s annual toy drive has brought holiday cheer to children across the region, delivering more than 170,000 toys to date. The initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to uplifting Caribbean communities through education, youth development, environmental programs, and cultural preservation. It remains one of the Foundation’s most cherished traditions — one that strengthens families, brings communities together, and reminds children that their dreams matter.
Guided by the belief that every child deserves moments of wonder and imagination, toys are being delivered across all nine islands where Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts operate: Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Spreading More Joy, Together
A wide assortment of toys, from Rubik’s Cubes and Kinetic Sand kits to puzzles, games, and plushies designed to spark creativity and emotional connection, were donated by Spin Master’s Toy Movement, an initiative committed to bringing inspiration, imagination, and joy to children everywhere, no matter their circumstances. The Toy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association™, which represents more than 900 toy companies, contributed plushies, building blocks, LEGOs, dinosaur figurines, and more. Jazwares Cares, the philanthropic arm of global toy company Jazwares – whose mission is to support children's health, well-being, and educational development through play – donated 10,000 huggable, loveable Squishmallows plush toys, offering comfort and cheer to children of all ages this holiday season.
More Than a Toy Drive: A Legacy of Community Empowerment
This year’s initiative brings 18,000 toys to Jamaica alone. Capping off a week of giving, yesterday the Sandals Foundation and team members from Sandals South Coast brought together more than 400 children in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, a community still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, for a festive day of music, crafts, storytelling, and treats, complete with appearances by Santa, and a lively crew of Sandals “elves.”
In partnership with Sesame Workshop, the celebration also incorporated playful psychosocial activities featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, helping children explore emotions and build coping skills following the storm. The event concluded with the distribution of toys, ensuring the magic of the season reaches families when it is needed most.
Christmas cheer is filling the air in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, as the Sandals Foundation and team members from Sandals South Coast Resort hosted a one-of-a-kind holiday party for some 400 children - bringing joy and the magic of the season to young ones whose families continue to reel from the effects of Hurricane Melissa.
A vibrant team of elves, Santa, and Mrs. Claus herself delighted children from Culloden Infant School, Kings Primary School, Petersville Primary School, and the Whitehouse Early Childhood Institute on Thursday, December 18, as they enjoyed a lively mix of music, art, story time, craft, games, delicious treats, and more. The day also incorporated meaningful psychosocial activities led in partnership with Sesame Workshop. With the famed team of Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby. exploring with children how to express big feelings - families were equipped with specially designed workbooks to support coping, healing, and emotional processing emotions in the wake of the recent storm.
The event, which took place at the Sandals South Coast Football Field, was topped with the distribution of a suite of toys from Canadian and United States companies - Spin Master, Jazwares, and The Toy Foundation™.
“It has been a tough few weeks for families in Whitehouse, but nothing should eliminate the magic of the holiday season and giving our young ones a moment of pure joy,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “Children are a major focus of our recovery efforts — from our commitment to rebuilding damaged schools to ensuring they continue to feel supported, safe, and uplifted. This event is our way of sharing with families that they are loved, supported, and surrounded by people who care deeply about their happiness and wellbeing.”
Across the Caribbean, the Sandals Foundation has mobilized Holiday treats for the distribution of 45,000 toys – marking the customary close to the year. In Jamaica, and in light of the challenges posed by the recent Hurricane, the teams in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Negril will spearhead specially tailored activities and lean on the reach of a number of local partners to support the wide distribution of toys to children in hard-hit communities.
“We are grateful to be able to partner with Food For the Poor, Rainforest Foundation, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and others who will help us distribute 18,000 toys within the deepest corners of our affected communities to guarantee more children can share in the magic of the season,” says Clarke.
Mark Khouri, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Food for the Poor says its team will lead in the delivery of 4,000 toys. “Toys will be distributed across the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, and St. James, targeting communities and families that have suffered significant losses during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Together, we remain committed to delivering hope, comfort, and meaningful support to communities in need.”
Since the passing of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, the Sandals Foundation has been working with local agencies and international partners to provide shelter, food, clean water, and medical support to hard-hit communities. In addition to supporting hospitals to remain as functional as possible to serve patients, the philanthropic arm has also been equipping fishers, as well as operators of small and medium-sized businesses, to restore their livelihoods. As part of its long-term recovery efforts, the foundation will, in the coming months, rebuild and renovate damaged schools to restore a sense of normalcy for children.
Curaçao’s reef restoration efforts has gained new momentum as the Sandals Foundation and the BRANCH Coral Foundation recently carried out an ocean dive to repopulate five coral nursery trees and outplant mature staghorn fragments grown under the Sandals Royal Curaçao Coral Nursery Establishment Project. Since launching in January 2025, the initiative has cultivated approximately 800 endangered coral fragments now being steadily restored to the island’s reefs.
The Coral Nursery Establishment Project aims to strengthen Curaçao’s coastal ecosystems through the cultivation and outplanting of endangered coral species. The recent activity marked an important milestone for the program with the successful outplanting of 25 square meters of restored coral from the BRANCH–Sandals Foundation nursery.
“Seeing these corals thrive in their new home is a tangible reminder of the positive change we can make when conservation meets community engagement and further strengthens our promise to the environment. A key pillar of the foundation's mission is the building of climate resilience through the restoration of coral reefs and fish population to, in turn, sustain the livelihoods of persons who depend on the health of this”, says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation.
In November, the conservation team, supported by the Sandals Royal Curaçao Water Sports team, installed new bamboo frames and attached 300 staghorn coral fragments. After three dives and coordinated teamwork from seven staff members, all structures were planted. Over the next two years, the bamboo frames will naturally biodegrade, leaving behind a thriving, self-sustaining coral ecosystem. This serves to benefit the marine environment as it is a nursery and habitat for organisms and provides disaster risk reduction, reducing the power of waves as they come ashore.
Sandals Royal Curaçao’s General Manager, Jeffrey Speelman, joined representatives from the Sandals Foundation and BRANCH Coral Foundation in returning to the nursery, where he participated in the dives and assisted with the repopulation of the 5 coral trees through the placement of 100 coral fragments to repopulate them. These coral fragments will later grow to maturity and be outplanted to continue the process of manual rebuilding of the reef system.
“This milestone represents an important step forward for our partnership,” said Jeffrey Speelman. “Through initiatives like the Coral Nursery Establishment Project, we are not only helping to protect Curaçao’s marine environment but also securing the sustainability of our coastal resources for generations to come.”
For Natascha Borgstein, Chair of Branch Coral Foundation, the partnership has been a success, “BRANCH Coral Foundation is incredibly proud of the growing partnership with the Sandals Foundation. Having the support of such successful organizations like the Sandals Foundation allows us to continue to follow our goal of growing the reef of Curaçao together with as many local and international organizations as possible. If you are also interested in working/volunteering with us, or simply want to learn more about what we do, please visit our website at branchcoralfoundation.com."
As part of the project’s educational and community engagement goals, the team is preparing to launch the PADI BRANCH Coral Restoration Course. Once certified, the Watersports Team at Sandals Royal Curaçao will be able to train guests and offer hands-on coral restoration experiences—further expanding awareness and participation in marine conservation.
Over 100 fishers in the Whitehouse and Old Bay Fishing communities are better able to resume operations following a $3.5 million donation of 120 rolls of fish wires, and 6,720 litres of gasoline from the Sandals Foundation and RUBiS Energy Jamaica.
On Friday, November 28, the Sandals Foundation began the distribution of fishing wire to 120 fishers – building the capacity of the fisherfolk to produce up to 600 fish pots – their tool of trade. Each fisher also received 56 litres of UltraTec 90 gasoline to fuel their boats from RUBiS Energy Jamaica - a welcome boost for the men and women whose lives and livelihoods have been significantly interrupted by Hurricane Melissa.
“The psychological impact of Hurricane Melissa is something that haunts us each day,” says Diego Salmon, Whitehouse Sanctuary Manager, “You look around and everything is a reminder of the great loss the community has faced. The need is overwhelming, but our fishers are resilient and are working tirelessly to rebuild. We are grateful for this opportunity to strengthen our community.”
A sentiment shared by Michel Malatino, Chief Executive Officer at RUBiS Energy Jamaica, “We are happy to support this important hurricane relief initiative which will help fisher folk return to their livelihoods, provide for their families, and rebuild their communities,” says Malatino.
For Whitehouse fisherman, Oneil Smith, Hurricane Melissa dealt a major blow, “All the boat and fish pot dem mash up so we can’t go out and make money. The help that we receive will give us a start and make me continue my business.”
The Whitehouse Fish Sanctuary was established in 2013 by the Sandals Foundation. Over the years, Salmon with his team of five have developed trust and the support of the community, creating a strong partnership for the preservation of its marine life.
Now, the sanctuary office and its wardens stand as a vital support system to the fishing community – providing care packages, free ice to vendors and residents, and access to power strips and solar powered energy supply to charge devices and maintain connectivity to family, business partners and clients. The wardens have also installed solar streetlights in key locations to improve security.
Since the October 28 passage of Hurricane Melissa, the Sandals Foundation has maintained a sustained presence of relief support – including the facilitation of psychological support for residents with counsellors from the Kahle Journey and the Jamaica Psychological Association. As part of its ongoing efforts, the philanthropic organisation continues to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to strengthen the capacity of fishers.
“A major pillar of our work is creating and endorsing opportunities that strengthen our communities. Supporting fishers restores income-generating pathways while providing additional food sources to communities that rely on their efforts to sustain their families. We are eternally grateful to our donors and partners that have made this all possible,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation.
As for the long-term livelihood recovery plan, which relies on the health of the marine resource, the Sanctuary Manager affirms, “We all have a deeper appreciation for our sanctuary as it will act as a building block to restoring our livelihoods. Once we have achieved self-sustenance, we will shift our focus to assessing the damage to our reefs and begin replanting corals as needed,” Diego Salmon, Whitehouse Sanctuary Manager.
