TEN-YEAR-OLD Noah Martincich and his family from Ottawa, Canada arrived in St. Lucia on Sunday, as guests of Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa.
For Noah and his mom and dad, Renee and Erik, this trip marked a welcomed return to the resort.
This visit also launched the second phase of an effort to provide educational supplies to local schools.
In April, 2014, Noah, along with his parents, visited the Micoud Primary School and donated over 100 reading books to that institution.
This time around the project has grown much larger, spearheaded by Noah with the assistance of his brothers and school friends back home. The Noah’s Ark Project has this time targeted two schools in the south for assistance, i.e. Micoud Primary and Bellevue Combined Schools.
On Wednesday, Noah along with his parents and other members of his family, travelled from Coconut Bay with 21 boxes educational school supplies to donate to the two schools.
Staff and students at the two institutions were elated and thankful to receive the donation of supplies which included over 900 reading books (shared between the two schools) as well as school bags, geometry sets, folders, lined paper, calculators, pencils, pens, crayons, lunch bags, etc.
The principals of the two schools Ms. AnniberthaDantes and Ms. Velma Poleon, received the donations on behalf of their schools and gave assurances that the items will be put to good use towards attainment of educational goals.
The visiting Martincich family party also included his grandmother Anne Marie who read to Grade I students from one of two children’s books which she authored. She also made a donation of these books to both schools. In addition to school supplies, the Martincich family also put together a box of medical supplies for the St Jude Hospital.
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa says it is appreciative of the assistance provided by the office of the Prime Minister, The Ministry of Education and the Customs & Excise Department in enabling the clearance of the boxes of donated items exempt of additional cost. “We wish to commend the family for their demonstration of goodwill towards the school children of St Lucia through the Noah’s Ark Project,” the resort said.