Coop chats with Oshayne Lawrence of Watersports at Sandals South Coast

WOGL-FM /  Big 98.1

Transcript

00:00It's Coop, live with Big 98.1 from beautiful Sandals, South Coast here in Jamaica. Remember,

00:04you can win one of five trips we're giving away to come here for yourself. Go to Big981.com.

00:09I'm with Heidi Clark, who's with the Sandals Foundation. You guys do so many incredible

00:13things. In fact, we were just talking about how you gave your knee away for the Sandals

00:16Foundation. Truthfully, though, you guys do so much for all of these Caribbean islands

00:22that Sandals is a part of. Let's start there first before we get into sustainability.

00:26Sure. Good morning. It's great to be here and great to have you here. Sandals has really

00:32been doing this since the very first hotel opened in Montego Bay. Mr. Stewart was always

00:37like, we got to work with the communities, got to get them on board. I think it's always

00:41been the ethos of the company. Really and truly in 2009, Adam Stewart just saw it as

00:46a way that more people could get involved and that we could use the brand to do greater

00:50things. It really has just taken off. This March, we're going to be 16 years old. I can't

00:54believe it. It's very exciting because we've just done a lot across all the islands that

00:59we operate in. We actually start working before the hotels open in the islands. Once they

01:03hear we're coming, that's it.

01:04I believe it. I do. Let's talk about sustainability. I know I was reading this actually earlier,

01:09that electricity here in the Caribbean, it's a lot more expensive than what we're used

01:13to in the States. And you guys are kind of doing something about that. Can you talk to

01:17me about that?

01:18Yeah. So everything we're looking at with our projects is how are we making our communities

01:22more sustainable and our schools. We have the beautiful Caribbean sun. So for us, it's

01:27all about how are we harnessing that to ensure that our children are getting a good education.

01:32So we're starting with doing solar in our schools to make sure that computer labs are

01:37able to run during the day and kids have access. Because a lot of these rural communities,

01:42especially in an area like Whitehouse, don't have constant electricity and they don't have

01:47the computers either. So we're making sure that our children have the same opportunities

01:51as children in North America. And this is just the way to do it. We did water with great

01:56partners Coca-Cola, and now we're doing solar.

01:59That's amazing. Now let's talk about what people can do when they, for instance, win

02:02their trip to come here to beautiful Sandals South Coast. Because when you come to Sandals

02:06and this is any of the Sandals resorts, you can help. You could pack for a purpose. You

02:10can be a part of the Sandals Foundation. Talk to me about that.

02:12So first of all, just by being a guest at Sandals and Beaches, you have to make a difference

02:16because 100% of the governance of this foundation is run by Sandals. But there's so many ways

02:22that our guests can get involved. So whether they want to stay on property and partake

02:26in a game or tie-dye or something, and they want to give a little donation, that goes

02:30directly to the foundation. If they want to go in our gift shop, we have an artisan corner

02:35that promotes all local artisans. And those funds go back to rebranding, equipment, business

02:41training for local artisans. So they can just do that. Or they can go out on a reading

02:46road trip, whether they're here in White House, or they can go on a dive. So there are many

02:53different avenues on property and off property. And then before they travel, they can pack

02:58for a purpose. So it's about looking on the website, whatever island they're visiting,

03:03and just saying, okay, I'm going here. And there's a list of all the organizations we

03:07work with. And every pound of school supplies, female supplies, things that people need here,

03:14goes directly back out into the community, makes a huge difference.

03:17And the website is sandalsfoundation.org. That's where you go to get all that information,

03:21correct?

03:22All that information. And they can find out about all the projects we've done in the past

03:25and what's coming up. So we hope they reach out. And we're super happy that people choose

03:30our resort because it really does help to make a difference here.

03:33Certainly you can make a difference. I mean, think about it. If you're coming here on your

03:35vacation, you're going to have a beautiful, beautiful time on this incredible island and

03:39this incredible resort. Give back any way you can. And if it's packing for a purpose,

03:42certainly do that. If it's participating in one of the activities and buying things at

03:46the amazing resort shop that they have here, and trust me, there's plenty of things that

03:49you'll find that you're going to want to take home there, right?

03:51Indeed. Indeed. And they're beautiful.

03:52Heidi, thank you so much. And thank you for all you do for the Sandals Foundation.

03:55Such a pleasure. Thank you for being here.

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