SIMPSON BAY—Twenty children age 12 to 18 from a local foster home got to try sailing and spend time swimming and playing on the beach Saturday.
Originally the outing had been set to be one of SXM DOET projects. The St. Maarten Yacht Club had teamed up with All About A Smile Foundation and the fun day was set for May. However, the project for the Mama Webster children was postponed due to Covid.
Saturday three RS Quests were used to take the children sailing in small groups.
“Some of the kids were nervous about the sailing in the beginning but it was great to see their progress during the day. We provided all the kids with lifejackets and explained a lot about the wind, therefore we were able to teach them the basics of sailing step by step in a controlled and safe way. We saw big smiles on all the faces, some kids were even brave enough to take the rudder and steer the boat,” said Saskia Revelman, the Yacht Club’s head sailing instructor.
When they weren’t sailing, the children were able to play on a floating dock and race with Solstice paddle boards and the afternoon ended with an relay race.
SXM DOET is an initiative from Be The Change Foundation in cooperation with the Oranje Fonds. It is the largest volunteer event on Sint Maarten, and in the Dutch Kingdom.
