The Sandals Foundation Island Challenge raises more than £108,000

The team of 30 aspiring athletes took on the more than 70km challenge in Saint Vincent mixing running, sea kayaking and hiking in hot and humid weather conditions.

The money raised for the Sandals Foundation will donated to the paediatric unit at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the main healthcare facility serving the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The bulk of the funds will be used to purchase equipment for premature infants in the hospital’s neonatal ward, with a portion also going to support healthcare facilities in the Southern Grenadine Islands following Hurricane Beryl.

Karl Thompson, Managing Director of Unique Vacations UK Ltd., sales and marketing representatives of Sandals Resorts, and Graeme Saunders, Lead Senior Manager, Groups and Corporate, organised the event in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for participants from the UK, Canada, the USA and the Caribbean.

The Island Challenge consisted of a 17km run on the island of Bequia, a 15km run and a 11km sea kayak on the West coast of Saint Vincenta, a 22km run on Saint Vincent and a 5-hour 7km hike in the foothills of the island’s active volcano, La Soufrière, with multiple crossings of the Wallibou River, over four consecutive days. 

Thompson says, “This was the hardest physical thing I have ever done. The steep terrain paired with the blistering Caribbean heat – and even the storm that we found ourselves battling through on day three – made it more challenging than we could have imagined. Seeing the difference the money will make to families in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines made all the tough times worth it though.”

Saunders adds, “It’s been a truly amazing experience. Everyone has banded together to support us, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We’ve arrived back home with aching bones but full hearts."

“The challenge went beyond physical endurance; it was a shared mission to bring hope to children in need of advanced medical care”, says Karen Zacca, Operations Director of the Sandals Foundation. “What we saw was a true coming together of people who care about the same thing – paediatric health. The first purchase will be a digital incubator, ensuring that newborns receive the critical care they need from the very start.”

Sponsors of the Island Challenge included the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, Virgin Atlantic, TTG Media, Hays Travel, TripAdvisor and Accord Marketing.