First, thank you to everyone who entered/donated in the 2017 American Sailing Association / Hands Across the Sea Caribbean Getaway Sweepstakes which was held during the month of October. Over 670 ASA members turned out, donating over $44,464 to help Hands Across the Sea restore over 50 damaged school libraries and provide much-needed books and literacy resources to children on the island of Dominica, which suffered a direct hit by a Category 5 hurricane in September. Horizon Yacht Charters and Elite Island Resorts donated some awesome prizes (see below). A big thank-you to everyone who stepped up and participated in the Sweepstakes!
We are grateful to our many caring ASA members who so generously donated to Hand across the Sea. We are proud to be able to help make a difference in the lives of so many kids.
Harriet and Tom Linskey, Co-Founders of Hands Across the Sea, add, “Hands sends a huge Thank You To Horizon Yacht Charters and Elite Island Resorts, our generous Sweepstakes sponsors, and to the American Sailing Association, our seagoing partner in child literacy!”
OK, you want to know who won, and here they are:
Grand Prize
One-Week Horizon Yacht Charters Bareboat Charter in Grenada or St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Won by Steve and Michele Rambo from Howard City, MI.
“I grew up in Florida in the Fort Myers area,” says Steve. “The sea has always been a big part of my life. My first sailboat was an old dilapidated Optimist pram given to me when I was nine years old. My dad and I refurbished it, and that little boat provided me with many ‘Tom Sawyer’ adventures sailing the coastal backwaters of Florida. I was forever hooked on sailing!”
“ASA has made it easy for my wife and me to continue my childhood adventures and go anywhere in the world. When we are not sailing we are reading about sailing. Hands Across the Sea is a great investment into a child’s imagination, education, and future. And thank you, ASA, for your wonderful program that keeps us excited and learning every time we go sailing.”
Second Prize
Elite Island Resort Stay
Won by Svetlana Furman from Los Gatos, CA
““My husband started sailing with his friends about ten years ago,” says Svetlana. “I tried it a few times, but didn’t enjoy it that much because we were sailing on San Francisco Bay – cold wind and waves, not my favorite weather! But then we sailed in Greece with our son and friends, and that was great. Next we went to the BVIs and it was amazing, we couldn’t believe our eyes it was so beautiful! Last summer we chartered in Croatia. Now we are deciding where to go next.”
“I’ve relied on ASA to learn more about sailing. I’ve read ASA materials online and information about different clubs, and we also enjoy the sailing magazine that we get from ASA. We read the stories and get ideas about our next adventure!”
Third Prize
Elite Island Resort Stay at The Verandah, Antigua
Won by Tracy and Bill Osterhout of Olympia, WA
“Bill and I are looking forward to our tropical getaway,” says Tracy, “After looking over the resorts, we think that The Verandah on Antigua would really suit us. Just the right degree of laid-back with the right amount of fun things to do, too!”
PROFILES OF THE SPONSORS
HORIZON YACHT CHARTERS
Horizon Yacht Charters (http://horizonyachtcharters.com) delivers immaculate yachts and first-class service. With four stunning Caribbean charter destinations to choose from, Horizon offers the very best sailing vacation each region has to offer: monohull or multihull, bareboat or crewed. Horizon can assist you with flight information, hotel accommodation, yacht provisioning, watersport rentals, and other services. Horizon can also help you with ASA-certified sailing instruction, learning to dive, going parasailing, or getting married on a deserted beach! Horizon wants you to have the sailing vacation of a lifetime, and their many years of experience means meticulous attention to detail and a superior level of personalized customer service.
ELITE ISLAND RESORTS
The Verandah Resort & Spa (http://www.verandahresortandspa.com), on beautiful Antigua, and the St. James Club, Morgan Bay (http://www.morganbayresort.com), on stunning St. Lucia, are famed for their fine dining and fun, family-oriented watersports and activities. Elite Island Resorts offers world-class vacations in Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, the Grenadines, and Panama.
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