In
mid-2004, the Rotary Club Bonaire decided to assist those
less fortunate children within our school system with receiving
a healthy, nutritious breakfast. By aiding with this, it
is hoped the children will be better prepared to focus and
retain more during their school hours. Thus, the Breakfast-in-Schools
program was founded by Bonaire Rotary. Our motto is, "Feed
the body and the mind!"
The
Breakfast-in-Schools program was begun for the 2004-2005
school year and proved to be a resounding success. It was
such a success, that Bonaire Rotary decided to continue the
program for the 2005-2006 school year, and augment the program
by adding Watapana School as a recipient. With this new school
addition, more than 150 school-children are now receiving
a free breakfast each school day morning at Kolegio Reina
Beatrix, Kolegio Papa Cornes, Kolegio Kristu Bon Wardador,
Luis Bertran, Watapana School, and Kolegio San Bernard. The
meals were planned with the help of a nutritionist and a local
caterer. Eddy’s Gourmet, prepares the food packages for
daily distribution.
The last week of the 2006 school-year marks the completion
of a second year of the successful Breakfast in Schools project
sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bonaire. Since August 2004,
the program has provided over 40,000 breakfasts in its two
years of operation.
This year three hotels partnered with the Rotary Club of Bonaire
and helped to raise funds with donation requests of their hotel
guests. With their guest donation programs, Buddy Dive, Divi
Flamingo, and Belmar Apartments raised a significant portion
of the funds needed for the project. Several other businesses
and individuals also made contributions to the project this
year.
For its third year, which starts in August, the Rotary club
will be seeking to add more hotel partners as well as individual
and business sponsors in support of this important and worthwhile
project for kids.
Each meal costs less than 2 Nafl and you can help by sponsoring
a meal for a child for one month for only 35 Nafl. For more
information or to help with a donation, please contact Marisela
Croes of the Rotary Club of Bonaire at 717-7360.
View
the current brochure about the Breakfast in Schools program.
For Easter, 2008, extra baskets were handed out:
Donations also can be sent to:
Stichting Rotary Bonaire
Account number MCB 114.238.08
Rotary Club Bonaire
PO 240
Bonaire NA
In October, 2005, the skeleton of a Bryde's Whale,
which was reconstructed by the Bonai Youth Group, was put on
exhibit at the entrance of Washington Park. The reconstruction
work was sponsored by Rotary Club Bonaire, along with other
organizations.
If
you have any questions about the Rotary Club of Bonaire,
please e-mail us at info@RotaryBonaire.org.
In October, 2007, Eric Heres, Director Corporate Communication for Campina, received a plaque on behalf of the Rotary Club Bonaire as appreciation for their very generous donation to our Breakfast In Schools program for the school year 2007-2008. Ruud Vermeulen, president of Rotary Bonaire, traveled to Campina headquarters in Holland to give this recognition. The stuffed cow animal was a gift from the children on Bonaire!
As part of the Breakfast in Schools Program (BIS), the Rotary Club of Bonaire also donated school supplies to the qualifying children of the Primary Schools for this year. These school supplies consist of materials for writing and drawing, sport shoes, and school uniforms for the school year 2008-2009. The school supplies could be purchased through support by AMFO, by fundraising, and by generous donations from citizens of Bonaire concerned with the children’s BIS Program. The photo shows boxes with writing materials ready for shipping to the various schools on Bonaire.
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