The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

Quality Care Pharmacy is hosting a Fun, Run, Walk and Health Fair on February 3 to raise funds for the Bahamas Feeding Network amid a 40 percent drop in donations.

The cost of registration for the initiative is $20 per person, with group rates available as an incentive. Every group can donate, both monetarily and with non-perishable items, to the BFN.

The event will commence at 6am with stretches and a warm up.

Free health screening, demonstrations, lectures, and entertainment, will occur immediately afterwards.

Nicolette Fountain, BFN executive assistant, noted it will be the first fundraiser for BFN for the year, and its first combined effort. She underscored the level of need has not decreased in the country, but the income has.

The chairman pointed to a 40 percent drop in donations.

“When we started out at the beginning of the year, we were giving 100 of our partners assistance every month," Ms Fountain said.

"We had to pull back and we went to giving to those partners every other month. At the end of the year, we had to reduce what we put in the parcels. So the parcels weren't as hefty as they were. So that right there we had to have it twice in one year and we can’t,”

She said: “We really need corporate Bahamas, individuals. We have children who are coming and giving up their lunch money and I'm really trying to get schools involved in a big way because much of the time it's going to go back to those children and their families or somebody they know.”

Between the period of January 2022 to June 2023, 129,492 persons were fed and 32,373 food parcels were given. This yielded 1,122,336 meals.

Philip Gray, the CEO of Quality Care Pharmacy, said the Bahamas Feeding Network's impact and contribution to Bahamians is “tremendous”.

“Its mandate and scope of service is significant with tentacles reaching the length and breadth of our archipelagic nation," Mr Gray said.

"To say that they could use the assistance of us all - both individually and corporately is the understatement of the year.

“Ms Archer just underscored the need and the fact that donations are down but the needs become greater. We, at Quality Care Pharmacy, commend them for their services and initiative, and we see the need for us to join in the fight against hunger and malnourishment. Our philanthropic arm proposes to work hand-in-hand with The Bahamas Feeding Network to see how we can help this nonprofit entity to achieve its goals.”

Iona Henderson, Sterling Hurricane Hole Limited’s Sales and Marketing associate, said the company is thrilled to support Mr Gray in this initiative.

“As Mr. Gray mentioned, Sterling and Hurricane Hole Marina, which is our marina here at the development have three charities that we support deeply and long term and one is the Bahamas Feeding Network. So the fact that this is the charity that Mr. Gray has chosen to support makes us very happy. It's close to our hearts,” she said.

The route is from Sterling Commons south onto the old bridge west onto Shirley Street. Then all the way to Government House, north onto Bay St. Via Cumberland Hill, east on Bay Street to the Sidney Poitier Bridge north — back over the bridge and ending where participants started.

There will be awards for the greatest participation as well as giveaways, prizes, and surprises.