The Marriott International resort general managers in the CALA region, the Caribbean and Latin America, were challenged to raise $10,000 each for storm victims on the islands hit hard by the recent Caribbean hurricane season. In Aruba, the Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino answered the challenge by partnering with the Surf Club, the Ocean Club and the Ritz Carlton Aruba to raise $50,000 jointly.
Last Friday our four GMs with Tom Calame and Louella Brezovar among them hosted the Season of Giving Affair selling out the Marriott’s ballroom and auctioning off 18 valuable prizes including vacations in the USA and in Aruba, artwork, boat trips, luxury goods and jewelry.
All providers of services to the resorts such as Setar, Nagico, Brown Lawyers, Pepia Est, Divino, CMB, De Palm Tours, Arion Wine Company, joined the effort. The idea was for them to enjoy a quality evening with members of management or line employees, while contributing to a great cause.
It all worked out perfectly, and when all was said and done the resorts in Aruba met their goal, in fact their exceeded it, hitting the $55.000 mark.
Compliments to the chefs, the food was spectacular, not an easy feat when you feed over 350 discerning customers. To add complications, this was the week, in which fresh produce container boats went to Curacao, instead of off-loading here, due to some container bottleneck in the Barcadera Port. Consequently, without fresh products, the chefs had to clean out their own storerooms, and improvise, resulting in an amazing meal: Beetroot cured salmon Gravlax, truffle crème fraiche, roasted roots and vinaigrette, paired with Josh Sauvignon Blanc, California; Sea bass beure blanc with corn two ways, paired with Murphy Goode chardonnay, California; Slow cooked short rib, the Black Angus meat spent 36 hours in the oven, Armagnac and tarragon sauce, white onion cream, asparagus, and caramelized carrots paired with Cune Rioja Crianza, Spain. For dessert with licked our plates clean when The Decadence Chocolate Pecan Tart was served with caramelized bananas, caramel cream, orange candy, and dama di baccio ice cream, chased by Casia by Sartori Moscato Dolce, Veneto, Italy.
Then they all got up to dance, and dance and dance, with Buleria and DJ NutsBeatz encouraged by the open bar and free flowing cocktails all night.
Those with deep pockets bid on two JetBlue tickets to NY & five nights at the JW Marriott Essex House, starting at $2,000, but other silent auction items were equally nice and even affordable.
Our friends in St Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, at the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, are rebuilding as they are currently closed due to damages caused by Hurricane Irma. Other islands such as the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Grand Turks, and Key West, were badly hit, and the funds collected are dedicated to help associates in the disaster zones.
Best feature of the night: Our charming wait staff, all volunteers from the four resort properties, engineers, IT specialists, restaurant and bar people, all donating their time and their charm for the cause.
