Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas (SIMB) Donates $50,000 To Cancer Charities
Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas (SIMB) Donates $50,000 To Cancer Charities
Nassau, Bahamas (November 21, 2016) –Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas (SIMB) on Monday donated $50,000 to five local cancer charities. The donation will go towards breast cancer screenings, educating the public on the disease and providing lodging for Family Island residents travelling to Nassau for cancer care.
The 2016 recipients include the Cancer Society of The Bahamas, the Cancer Association of Grand Bahama, the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Foundation; Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative Foundation (BBCIF).
Each charity will receive $10,000.
Sunshine Insurance, which is the lead organizer and sponsor of Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend (SIRW), held a news conference at its Shirley Street headquarters.
“I’m delighted to be here to present these cheques to very deserving organizations. We at Sunshine Insurance look at any way we can do our part to provide our services as a corporate citizen and this is one of the ways that we see our works are being well done,” said Sunshine Insurance Vice President of Development, Dwayne Swaby.
We are trying to make a positive impact on society and we look at the fight against cancer as one of the important initiatives that we feel is valuable enough for us to do all that we can in every way that we can in order to assist. This is just a small token.”
Mr. Swaby thanked Race Weekend’s numerous sponsors, all of whom, he said, “do their part to help us give back.”
“We want to make [this event] bigger and better. We have to thank those who make it possible, such as Atlantis, BTC, Dasani, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which has come on as a Gold sponsor; we have to remember all of those partners. We would like to say we look forward to each and every one of you coming out because this is a wonderful initiative and we’re so proud as an organization being part of it.”
Susan G. Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure® Honorary Chairperson, Willie Moss, who is also a 23-year breast cancer survivor, accepted the cheque on behalf of the Cancer Association of Grand Bahama.
“Thank you for all that you have done. In reflecting on the awareness that has been brought to bear on the issue of breast cancer over the last seven years in particular, I realized that this could not been done had it not been for the initiative of the Sunshine Insurance team and the Susan G. Komen group. Because this was the brainchild of Sunshine Insurance I have to say a million thank yous to you all for making it possible for us to bring the awareness of breast cancer to the forefront of practically every Bahamian’s mind,” she said.
“As honorary chairperson I am truly humbled, honored and proud to be a part of this initiative. It’s been almost 23 years now since I kicked breast cancer in the butt and I know that it can be that long and longer for all of us who are faced with such an encounter if we are aware of what is happening to our bodies and act quickly to deal with it. I thank you once again for all of the support; I thank the sponsors over the years and I ask for more people to come on board and sponsor this event.”
Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group Secretary, Helen Rolle said to date, her organization has gifted 120 PORT-A-CATH® instruments.
“It gives me great pleasure to come and accept this gigantic cheque. It will do the hearts of many persons well. Without you, we don’t know how we would have been able to do what we do. But, Go in His mercy, always provides somebody. So, on behalf of our founders, Dr. Charles Diggiss, Dr. Locksley Munroe, [Nurse] Charlene McPhee, our president, Andrea Sweeting and the whole group of vibrant ladies who every day thank you for making their lives better one by your donation, we look forward to continuing to partner with you in all that we can do to stamp out the scourge of cancer,” she said.
“We are imploring the public to please come out and support. Today is my day, today can also be your own. The Race for the Cure is on. Please sign up, get your friends, aunts and uncles and cousins and sign up, because you never know when you will need something from this organization.”
Cancer Society of The Bahamas Vice President, Dr. Williamson Chea thanked Sunshine Insurance and corporate Bahamas for their “kind generosity in terms of giving towards the Cancer Society and all that we do.”
“The Cancer Society not only treats breast cancer but treats all types of cancer. Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas generously donates to the Cancer Society and we, in fact, deal with all types of cancer. We also promote screenings, healthy lifestyles; we have programmes that screen for cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer – the main types of cancer that we see,” said Dr. Chea.
“We also have to emphasize that we have a Cancer Caring Centre of which we have 10 rooms and we allow Family Island residents to come there and stay there free of charge. They come down and stay in a room with caregivers and we transport them to the doctor, the hospital and have the treatments done. So, the money that you are donating is to a very good cause and I salute you for that. We hope everyone turns out for Race Weekend and support this marathon and the Susan G. Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure.”
PMH Foundation Executive Administrative Assistant, Thelma Rolle-Fernander, thanked the Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas team for including her organization on its list of beneficiaries.
“It’s been a beautiful partnership and relationship over the last seven years for us. We continue our pledge. What we do at the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation is, we provide the support for the hospital to provide affordable and more convenient screenings for persons who need to be screened for breast cancer. This year, we have been pleased with the volume of persons who have come forward to have their mammograms done at the hospital,” she said.
“Additionally, we are pleased that we have made it more convenient for our patients to come on Saturdays to have their screenings done. We are putting it out to the public, please, if you want to have your screenings done at the hospital, you can come, we make it very convenient for you.
Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend will be held in January 14-15, 2017.
To register for both events, visit, www.komenbahamas.org and www.marathonbahamas.com.
L-R: PMH Foundation Administrative Assistant, Thelma Rolle-Fernander; Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group Secretary, Helen Rolle; Sunshine Insurance VP of Development, Dwayne Swaby, Susan G. Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure Honorary Chairperson, Willie Moss and Cancer Soceity of The Bahamas VP, Dr. Williamson Chea. (Photo/Chakita Archer)
Dwayne Swaby presents cheque to Willie Moss. (Photo/Chakita Archer)
