The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TEXAN philanthropists Carl and Gigi Allen, the owners of Walker’s Cay, recently presented tablets to students at the Freeport Primary School.

The donation is part of a memorandum of understanding forged last year with the Ministry of Education.

The Allens presented tablets at the Maurice Moore Primary School last year, and this year have decided to continue the programme at Freeport Primary. All students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades will receive an Amazon Fire tablet equipped with learning activities.

Mr Allen believes that such technology in the classroom will greatly benefit students. “It always brings Gigi and me great joy to see and interact with kids getting to experience new learning activities that will help prepare them for the future. It is our strongly held belief that these tablets will help bring many great things in the world directly to their fingertips,” he said.

The Allens and the Ministry of Education entered into a MoU aimed at providing every 4th, 5th and 6th grader in Grand Bahama and the Abacos with a tablet. In May 2018, the couple purchased Walker’s Cay, and announced plans to redevelop the country’s northernmost island to its former glory and reopen it as a sport-fishing destination.

The clean-up and renovation began in January 2019 on the cay, which included plans to restore the church, and other amenities including a marina. Prior to their purchase, the cay had been hit by two previous hurricanes forcing the former owners to close it.

Mr Allen, a successful businessman and a frequent visitor to Walker’s Cay, decided to purchase the cay.

They are now trying to recover from Dorian.

“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few months doing all we could to help recover from the wrath of Hurricane Dorian. We put every resource and ounce of manpower we had into the recovery efforts in the Northern Bahamas after the horrendous event,” Mr Allen said.

“We know there is still a long road to recovery ahead, but even as efforts continue to help with the recovery, this project remains a focus of ours because we know it will prepare these kids for a better future.”

Over the course of the hurricane recovery, the Allens raised over $1 million and provided over 200,000 pounds of supplies to Grand Bahama, the Abacos, and Grand Cay.

School Principal Gia Walker thanked the Allens for their contribution. “They continue to go above and beyond for our students because they truly care about them. From students and faculty of Freeport Primary, we wish them our very heartfelt thanks.”

Mr Allen is a renowned Texas businessman and philanthropist, known for building his family-run business from 130 jobs up to nearly 1,000. He, his wife Gigi and their family strongly believe that creating good jobs and helping communities go hand in hand, so they invest in educational institutions and environmental causes that make the world around them a better place. Along with his wife, Mr Allen has been an active participant in helping further education opportunities in both the US and The Bahamas.