Playing cards, stuffed animals, puzzles, various and varied toys… On the tables set up in the middle of the Swedish House, under the Gustavia lighthouse, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Saint-Barthélemy are busy with a meticulous sorting operation. Because, this year again, the big Christmas collection carried out in partnership with the island’s schools (the Gustavia school group, the Sainte-Marie school in Colombier and that of Saint-Joseph in Lorient) was a success. “Thanks to the generosity of families and the exceptional mobilization of educational teams, we have collected a very nice quantity of toys which will delight many children,” rejoices the president of Rotary, Axelle Cappelli.
All the toys collected from the parents of the island’s schoolchildren were collected by the Club’s volunteers before being sorted and distributed into boxes. These were then sent free of charge to Saint-Martin by the company Ti Colis to be collected by the Rotary Club of Saint-Martin Nord. “This is the second edition of this solidarity action, and once again, the collaboration between our two clubs is working wonderfully,” says Axelle Cappelli, who does not fail to express her thanks “to all the teachers who relayed the information with enthusiasm, to the school directors and to the parents for their incredible generosity.”
The Rotary Club of Saint-Martin Nord has since distributed the gifts collected in Saint-Barth and Saint-Martin. Presents intended for children whose families do not have the means to give them gifts at Christmas. “The toys collected will help bring smiles and moments of joy to the children of our island during this very special time,” confirms the Rotary Club of Saint-Martin Nord, which underlines the commitment of Saint-Martin schools so that “Christmas for all becomes a promise kept”. The Club emphasizes the importance of collaboration with their counterparts in Saint-Barth. “It proves that, when we join forces, magic really does happen on our islands. »