The Aruban community was the big winner last night at the 6th annual Long Table, by Wind Creek Aruba. The Renaissance Resorts handed out $65.000 to local not-for-profit foundations, at a spectacular evening, serving a three-course dinner with wine to 1,000 party-goers, all dressed in white, at the heart of Oranjestad.
Videos of selected foundations were posted online, and the public was invited to vote for their favorite. The results were revealed by General Manager Paul Gielen last night, helped by VIP tribe members of the Poarch Creek Indians, Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe, who own the resorts in Aruba.
The winners of the contest were the following:
Club Kibrahacha $15.000 — The club organizing daytime activities for seniors in our community handed in a charming video, describing their activities and wishing for a bus to be able to transport at least some of their 250 clients.
Stichting Hunto Inloophuis $10.000 — Their video with a humorous twist spelled out their mission to help street people burdened by mental illness and addiction.
Fundashon Hospice Atardi $10.000 — This very worthy humane and humanitarian foundation, offering a supportive environment for the dying and their family members, received my vote.
Sonrisa $10.000 — This foundation also peppered their video with humor, promoting the need for a bus, to transport their people, children, and adults with limitations, to activities at the Sonrisa Center. The big cardboard bus going from one parent to another explained it all.
Fundashon Contra Violencia Relacional — FCVR $10.000. This foundation, the former Fundacion pa Hende Muhe den Dificultad, rebranded recently, and expanded its scope of activities. Besides helping families in crisis it advocates the need for cultural changes, where norms and behaviors do not support relational violence in our community, where any form of relationship violence, physical, emotional, and or psychological abuse, is regarded as a grave offense that affects us all.
Wind Creek Aruba also pitched in with an extra donations for five more foundations, also in the running: ADRA Teen Mother Project $2.000; Ambiente Nobo $2.000; Give Me A Break $2.000; Bump Aruba $2.000; and Fundacion Biba Bou Guia $2.000
The focus of those foundations were seniors and teens, except Give Me a Break that offers accommodations in a house, free of charge, to adults in need of a stress free get away.
According to a press release Wind Creek has handed out $335,000, since the beginning of the program, in 2017.
Compliments to the executive chef, and the culinary brigade, the food was truly delicious: Caprese Salad, Angus Brisket, red wine glaze, and a most charmingly packaged Tiramisu and cookies to go. The wine free flowing, red and white
The evening was impeccably organized with many great touches and thoughtful details such as a Tiramisu Recipe to Go, fancy mineral water, professional photographers, including General Manager Paul Gielen, a red carpet entrance, live music, aerial entertainment, white linen tablecloth and napkins, pre-arranged seating, a fireworks extravaganza for finale, and more.
The sponsors of the event were many and we should thank them because Renaissance couldn’t do it without them. The set up started at 12 noon and the evening concluded with spectacular firewortks around 10pm. L.G. Smith Boulevard reopend for traffic at 11pm.
Duro Entertianment & DJ Lee Croes, entertained, emcee Erin Croes, Magic FM, managed the program with great ease.
Wind Creek Hospitality and Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort, asked about 150 of their staffers to volunteer help set up, serve and breakdown.
Contributing partners: Caribbean Overseas, Tropical Bottling Company, Boma Aruba, Elite Productions, Arion Wine Company, Express Events & Party Rentals, Bix Brandimports NV, Andmar Manpower, Al Jazar, Aruba Laundry, Aruba Trading Co, ASD, ARTN Photography, Bright Bakery, Bee haven, Bite! Communications, Compra, Duro Entertainment, EcoTech, Flora Market, Frasa, Great Wall Fireworks, Huan Zhan Trading, Interpan, La Giotta, Mercal, Nani Pan, New York Laundry, New Wave Entertainment, Neomi’s Aerial Studio Foundation & Tribe Pole Aerial Studio, Petite Greens & Romar Trading. For photos from Long Table check out Facebook www.facebook.com/ArubaLongTable.
