For the sixth consecutive year, employees of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Destination Club partnered with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide backpacks and necessary school supplies to children in the Division of Children and Families Foster Care Program. The backpacks, full of crayons, pens, notebooks, calculators and other back-to-school items were presented to the office of Division of Children and Families by representatives of the resort at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24.
DHS provided a list of needed items for 65 children to The Ritz-Carlton, and employees from every department of the resort donated new backpacks and school supplies to help give a child the confidence and tools necessary to succeed this school year. To add to the children’s excitement, employees included a personal note of encouragement in each child’s backpack.
“The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, and our more than 600 employees, have a strong passion and commitment to giving back to our community in a meaningful way,” said General Manager Bernd Kuhlen. “This effort continues to be a great way to help kids receive the supplies they need for a successful back-to-school start, and it’s such a rewarding feeling to know the positive impact a donation like this has on their life,” he added.
Participation in “Backpacks for Success” is just one of many corporate responsibility initiatives that encompass The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas’s Community Footprints program. The resort’s employees also participate in The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the Boy Scouts Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament, Reef Fest and community clean-up programs across St. Thomas. In addition, Community Footprints has expanded to offer volunteering opportunities to resort guests through the Discover Coastal Waters program that involves tourists in a hands-on snorkel excursion to collect important fish population and species data, with proceeds going to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
For more information on The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas’s community efforts, please contact Meghan McSwain, public relations manager, at 775-3333, ext. 8606.
About the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas
Overlooking the turquoise waters of Great Bay, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas is a secluded hideaway on a 30-acre beachfront estate with breathtaking views of the
For further information and reservations, please call (800) 241-3333, access the web site at www.ritzcarlton.com or contact a travel professional.
