The Frenchman’s Reef team filled their shopping carts full of Barbies, Spider-Man puzzles, LOL dolls, K-Mart gift cards, and more to ensure that the children of St. Thomas and St. John had toys to kick off their holiday season. After a day of shopping and wrapping in conjunction with the USVI Hotel & Tourism Association (USVIHTA), the team personally visited the Boys and Girls Club of St. Thomas as well as the children in the Hospital Ground and Kirwan Terrace areas to deliver presents and bring smiles to hundreds of little faces.
Ayanna Hodge, former student, volunteer and current youth developer at the Boys and Girls Club, feels that the most important part of the day is the kids, and seeing their smiles is a reminder of the good that delivering these presents does. She shared that “many of the children come from low-income homes that may not be able to afford presents, or some families have several children so individual children may not each receive a gift.”
During each of the gift deliveries, children were just as one would expect– full of excitement, joy and holiday spirit. Managing Director of Frenchman’s Reef Kurt Wiksten said, “The Virgin Islands are our community, and these children are our future. We want to bring joy into their lives and ensure that they know that Frenchman’s Reef is here to support them – whether it’s with toys today or careers in their future. We look forward to a long relationship for years to come.”
Frenchman’s Reef is thankful to Lisa Hamilton of USVIHTA for the continued commitment and coordination of these efforts.
As Hamilton said, “The USVIHTA is committed to uplifting our community through endeavors such as our annual holiday gift distribution. We are tremendously thankful to our members who make these charitable events possible. It is truly a pleasure to celebrate the holidays with children throughout the territory, and we look forward to continuing the tradition.”
