3 January 2019
January 2019. In partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, Great Shape! Inc., a volunteer organisation dedicated to providing education and health care services to families in the Caribbean, recently completed its 1000 Smiles Dental project and iCARE initiative for 2018.
The Sandals Foundation, a non-profit organisation, was created to continue and to expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas; education, community and the environment.
In its 16th Year, the 1000 Smiles Dental Project impacted the lives of over 26,000 people in need of dental care across 22 communities in 3 Caribbean nations. The overall project had a total value of USD$4.6 million.
The 1000 Smiles Dental Project aims to help communities in the Caribbean, on the islands of Saint Lucia, Jamaica and Grenada with dental care. This includes services such as dentures, fillings, root canals, as well as screenings for oral cancer, blood pressure & diabetes, and dental hygiene advice.
With the project already operating in Saint Lucia and Jamaica, in 2018 the 1000 Smiles project launched on the Spice Island of Grenada, too. For the first time in history, the project operated on two islands at the same time. This year, the project increased the number of people affected and expanded the free services offered by providing dentures to 80 people as well other oral health services.
2018 By Numbers
- 26,281 Persons Impacted
- 10,174 Patients Seen in our Clinics
- 16,107 Children Received Oral Health Instruction
- 570 Volunteers Committed To Helping
- $4,599,758 USD Total Value of the Dental Program
- 39,581 Procedures provided in our clinics
In its tenth year, the iCARE programme continues to provide free eye care services to people across the Caribbean. The 2018 programme impacted over 8,000 people in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos, with an overall projected donated value of USD$2.12 million.
This year was the programme’s tenth year of providing eye care services in Jamaica, as well as its fifth year providing cataract surgery. 2018 was also the first year of the programme’s service in Turks & Caicos, first year of performing SLT laser surgery to save patients’ sight, and the first year conduction PRP diabetic retinopathy laser surgery to prevent diabetic blindness.
Since its inception in 2009, the iCARE programme has performed over 37,000 eye exams and donated of 79,000 pairs of glasses to the people of Jamaica and Turks & Caicos, at an estimated value of USD$10.4 million.
To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org
Agents can book by calling the call centre on 0808 164 3459 or Agency Sales General enquiries on 0207 590 0210. For more information about Sandals and Beaches Resorts please visit www.sellingsandals.co.uk
