From left: Elektralyets Foundation President Mercedes van der Waals Wyatt; Aqua Mania Adventures Office Manager Frances Aaron and Activities Clerk Kathleen Rogers; and Positive Foundation President Shelly Alphonso.
PHILIPSBURG--The Positive and Elektralyets Foundations in collaboration with Aqua Mania Adventures hosted and raised US $4,000 at the sixth annual Pink Sunset Sail to raise awareness for breast cancer in our community.
The sixth Pink Sunset Sail which took place on Saturday, October 2, raised funds through ticket sales and a raffle. This was announced in a collaborative press release on Thursday.
Proceeds went to the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations to help continue their quest to raise breast cancer awareness on the island of St. Maarten for research, screenings, awareness activities, projects and education.
The foundations have an action-packed schedule this year and Aqua Mania’s Pink Sunset was the first event. “As St. Maarten continues to recover and rebuild after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and navigate the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, early detection and self-health awareness is important,” the foundations said in a press release on Thursday.
“Far too many victims of breast cancer, not all of them battling the disease, but the many children, husbands, friends and family endure the hardships and aftermaths of treatment. We want to focus on early detection and self-awareness – being breast-aware: feel it, find it, fight it – and making that call to action to get checked!” This is the breast cancer awareness message that the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations continue to send.
The Pink Sunset Sails have garnered positive feedback. Repeat vacationers booked their vacation dates so that they can participate in the event. This year there were several first-time participants.
“It is the best way Aqua Mania knows how, to contribute to the local foundations that used the funds to support the community with free screenings, awareness activities and events and education,” said the release.
The event has grown over the past six years. The Pink Sunset Sails start with a “Pink Mixer” from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. This is a sponsored cocktail party with a full bar from IslandSpirits NV. The foundations said the Pink Mixer was a great success, giving the participants a chance to mingle following strict COVID safety guidelines and restrictions by wearing their masks and hand sanitising.
The Pink Sunset Sail departed at 5:30pm from the marina at Simpson Bay Resort where Aqua Mania Adventures is located. Lambada and Tango, 65-foot sailing catamarans headed out for a coastal sail into the sunset, allowing 100 people to be part of this unique event.
Tickets were on for sale at US $50 per person, which included a unique Pink T-shirt with this year’s theme “Be the Anchor Get Checked!”, an open bar, snacks and a wonderful sail along St. Maarten’s golden coastline, sightseeing, sipping cocktails and watching the green flash.
With the assistance of local businesses, Aqua Mania Adventures organised a raffle onboard the boats as an additional fundraising opportunity which increased the total proceeds for the foundations and participants got the chance to win fabulous prizes.
During the month of October, the Positive Foundation along with its partners including the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), the medical practitioners on St. Maarten, the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine, Collective Prevention Services (CPS), the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA and sponsors will provide free screening opportunities, 100 free mammograms for uninsured persons, free breast self-examination workshops, in-person presentations on breast cancer awareness and free educational literature at the various events.
“These are just some of the ways the Positive Foundation plans to educate our community on the importance of early detection, risk factors and the symptoms and signs of breast cancer. We are very grateful that businesses like Aqua Mania Adventures are on board to assist us with our cause,” said Positive Foundation President Shelly Alphonso.
“The Elektralyets Foundation has been collaborating with the Positive Foundation for over 10 years. The Elektralyets’ main goal is to coordinate the big breast cancer awareness events throughout the month of October and to unite women and men of St. Maarten, alerting them about our cause. This has been a developing process over the years and each year the Elektralyets Foundation seeks out new sponsors and organisations to collaborate for the breast cancer awareness movement.
“Saving lives on the island of St. Maarten and reaching more persons each year is why we are also happy to collaborate with Aqua Mania Adventures, who has become a great partner with innovative and creative ideas,” said Elektralyets Foundation President Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals-Wyatt.
The Positive and Elektralyets Foundations thanked AquaMania Adventures and all businesses that contributed raffle prizes, snacks and food to the event. “We would also like to give a heartfelt thanks you to Island Spirits NV, Amsterdam Liquor & Cheese La Patrona, Replay Sports Bar, Avantika Captain D’s also for hosting the Pink Mixer,” the foundations concluded.
The foundations would also like to remind everyone to “Get Checked!”
