~Less Plastic and More Time on the Field, Partnership between Sandals Resorts International and AFC Ajax Has Proven Its Success~ 

WILLEMSTAD, CURAÇAO, June 20, 2023 – Future Goals, a landmark partnership program between Sandals Resorts International (SRI) and AFC Ajax that turns fishing nets sourced from the ocean and recycled plastic waste into soccer goals for children, celebrates its first anniversary this month.  Founded to expand opportunity to Caribbean children through the power of youth sports, the program which began in Curaçao with the debut of Sandals Royal Curaçao one year ago, announces milestone achievements and events marking the occasion.

According to Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, SRI’s on-the-ground philanthropic arm, the Future Goals program has been a resounding success, providing goals for play, while removing plastic waste, training new coaches and most importantly, making a difference in the lives of local children.

Working with innovative local Curaçaon plastic recycling company Limpi, Future Goals has created 40 football goals since its launch last year; each made from recycled plastic bottles and caps, of which more than 600,000 have been collected through recycling efforts of residents as well as clean-up drives at beaches and in communities. In addition, 160 square meters of ghost fishing nets - nets that have been lost or abandoned in the ocean - were retrieved from the Caribbean Sea and used to make the goals with enough material leftover to make 300 nets for the transport of soccer balls (footballs) provided by partner adidas. Overall, Future Goals programming was available at 29 classes, impacting more than 750 students island wide.

“We are incredibly proud of this partnership with AFC Ajax for their commitment to Future Goals that has made a tremendous difference in the lives of Caribbean children,” said Clarke. “Over the course of this outstanding first year, we have watched young peoples’ love for the game of football be the catalyst that pushes them to learn important life skills such as teamwork, goal setting and resilience while empowering them to become stewards of the environment.  We are grateful for all that they have achieved and look forward to an even brighter future and the opportunity to expand programming through Future Goals to others.”

"It's a special moment for us here at Sandals Royal Curaçao, as we not only celebrate the resort's first anniversary but our continued commitment to the region. Although Sandals was new to Curaçao when we began our partnership with AFC Ajax, we were not new to the Caribbean, and have long understood the power of youth sports to lift kids up and teach them important life skills. We are so grateful to the team for their commitment to this community and to our new home, Curaçao. We are part of something wonderful here and I know, together, we will continue to make a difference for children and this beautiful country," said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of SRI.

Celebrations kicked off on June 1st when legendary AFC AJAX players including Ronald de Boer, Richard Witschge, Rob Witschge, Ricardo van Rhijn, Henk Timmer, Jari Litmanen and Nordin Wooter joined Sandals Resorts International CEO Gebhard Rainerand other SRI team members at Sandals Royal Curaçao to commemorate the extraordinary year.

On June 20, celebrations culminated as Future Goals hosted its first “Trophy Event” for participants at SDK Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao. The island's largest stadium, with a capacity of 10,000 spectators, saw close to 600 children attend the event – giving them the chance to vie for points through a series of “sports stations” activities and games that reflect the core principles of the Future Goals program as well as AFC Ajax values, including cooperation, respect, discipline and fun. 

Children also had the chance to earn points for their teams through quizzes that demonstrated their understanding of environmental stewardship and sustainability. Fresh off the heels of a recently concluded ‘Plastic Challenge’, the Future Goals curriculum teaches how to repurpose waste plastic and ways to influence peers and the community to take care of their environment. To close, all youngsters also earned a repurposed plastic medal of participation and the winning school that earned the most points took home an impressive trophy made of recycled plastic. 

Since its inception in 1981, Sandals Resorts has taken an unparalleled approach to supporting the communities where it operates. Through its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, the luxury all-inclusive resort company began its work in Curaçao - its seventh and newest destination in the Caribbean, ahead of the 2022 debut of Sandals Royal Curaçao, SRI’s first hotel in the country.