Caribbean Lottery donates $2,400 to school’s breakfast programme | THE DAILY HERALD

Caribbean Lottery’s Paula Williams (left) presents a cheque of US $2,400 to Valerie van Putten-Hodge for the Now You Know Breakfast Programme at Prins Willem-Alexander School for Special Education.

 BELVEDERE–Caribbean Lottery has provided US $2,400 in funding to the Now You Know Breakfast Programme at Prins Willem-Alexander School for Special Education, which is temporarily located in Belvedere.

This is the fourth consecutive year of Caribbean Lottery’s funding support of the programme. Most of the school’s student population (currently around 35 children) face challenges in learning at school, developing more slowly than their peers. These especially needy children depend on the breakfast programme to get their day off to a good start.

Now You Know producer Valerie van Putten-Hodge said irrespective of what funds are available, a balanced and healthy breakfast is always provided to the children. Most come from disadvantaged homes and arrive at school hungry. Without their breakfast, they are tired and unable to concentrate on their lessons. The morning meal is a priority.

Caribbean Lottery said research has repeatedly shown that eating a good breakfast daily is critical. For children, it has a positive impact on their academic performance in school, besides boosting nutrition and physical energy levels.

Caribbean Lottery Site Operations Manager Paula Williams said the company is delighted to support the programme for the fourth consecutive year. “This is in keeping with our ongoing corporate responsibility to strengthen communities across the region. Once again our St. Maarten partners have come together in this laudable effort to help these less-fortunate children in a practical way. It has been making an impact,” Williams said.

“This year’s fundraising effort is even more crucial after last year’s hurricanes caused tremendous damage on the island,” Van Putten-Hodge said. She noted that the school itself, as well as most of its students and staff, had faced major challenges after Hurricanes Irma and Maria passed in September last year.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Caribbean Lottery for once again assisting our needy children. We hope that more corporate sponsors will come on board, as the rebuilding process on the island continues,” she said.

Van Putten-Hodge is a veteran broadcaster who can be heard on Voice of St. Maarten radio station. Her two radio shows – the daily “Now You Know” and the long-running Sunday historical feature “What Will I Be” – are co-sponsors of the breakfast programme, in partnership with Rotary Club of St. Maarten Sunrise.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/80735-caribbean-lottery-donates-2-400-to-school-s-breakfast-programme

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