AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life Sports Sending our local youth sailor to OPTINAM

Hello Everyone

Here is our San Pedro fundraising page for our sailing club at Caribbean Villas. The club provides free sailing to the youth of San Pedro and we are now raising funds to send one of our sailors to a large internstional event. Please make a donation if you can. Every dollar helps and enables the sailing club to provide training and provide seaworthy equipment. Sailing is not only a fun recreational hobby, there are professional avenues that can be followed too. With the independence, confidence and physical challenges that sailing provides, these kids are off to a good start in life.

For the first time ever Belize will be sending a team of youth sailors to the Optimist North America (OPTINAM) http://www.optinam2015.org/ event which will be held in July on the Caribbean Island of Antigua. One of the sailors who has qualified to represent Team Belize is Kevin Velasquez. At the tender age of 13 Kevin already has a Belize national championship under his belt. In the team selection regatta Kevin came first in all 6 races! He will be a great representative for Belize. In order to assist Kevin on his way to this exciting event we need some financial assistance. Please go to the Go fund Me link and make a donation. Every dollar will help us realize this bench mark goal. Please share the link with your friends and know that we truly appreciate and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

http://www.gofundme.com/v4pf7ak

Here in San Pedro we have been providing sailing that is free of charge to our junior sailors. Our model is very, very different from the rest of the world where most boats are privately owned and only the financially capable families can enjoy the pleasures and rewards of sailing. Our sailors are from all walks of life. To fund our program we do need financial support and we can offer membership and sponsorship opportunities. You can contact us directly by sending me a private message.

A little story to highlight the struggles that all sailing clubs have to contend with...

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/05/25/creating-future-sailors-and-boaters/

Hi Amanda
Might want to correct the donation page .... It says you are trying to raise 40,000 !
Is it ok to drop checks off at Sunrise? If so, to whom should they be made payable?
Thanks for supporting the kids in this great project.

Thanks Diane. We are trying to raise $40K. The cost of maintenance and repairs of the boats run around $10,000 per year, then there is gas for the safety boats, travel to regattas which amounts to around $35K or so per year.

Yes please drop off a cheque at Sunrise Realty. If the cheques can be made out to cash that would be great (sign the back too) and then we will send you a receipt and update on the fundraising efforts if you provide us with an email address.

As an update. The sailing club is a registered charity here in Belize and cheques can be made out to "Alta Mar Sailing Club" which is the trustee for the club.

We have had some very kind donations but continue to request support in the form of cash donations or sponsorship of individual sailors or vessels. In addition we will be hosting a fundraiser so gift items are also being sought.

There will be a fundraiser held at Caribbean Villas Hotel this sunday, June 7th starting a 11:30am. Live music, silent auction, raffles and food sales.

Why not come out and enjoy watching the kids sailing?

Thank you for your support.