This holiday season, the simple joy of opening a new toy is reaching tens of thousands of children across the Caribbean through an annual toy drive led by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
With the support of toy industry leaders Spin Master, Jazwares, and The Toy Foundation, 45,000 toys will be delivered, marking the Foundation’s largest toy drive to date.
“The holidays are about hope, the kind that reassures every child that they are seen, valued, and deeply loved, and we’re incredibly grateful to all the partners and volunteers who have been part of this legacy of giving over the years,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation.
For more than a decade, the Sandals Foundation’s annual toy drive has brought holiday cheer to children across the region, delivering more than 170,000 toys to date. The initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to uplifting Caribbean communities through education, youth development, environmental programs, and cultural preservation. It remains one of the Foundation’s most cherished traditions – one that strengthens families, brings communities together, and reminds children that their dreams matter.
Guided by the belief that every child deserves moments of wonder and imagination, toys are being delivered across all nine islands where Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts operate: Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
This year’s initiative brings 18,000 toys to Jamaica alone. Capping off a week of giving, the Sandals Foundation and team members from Sandals South Coast brought together more than 400 children in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, a community still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, for a festive day of music, crafts, storytelling, and treats, complete with appearances by Santa, and a lively crew of Sandals “elves.”
In partnership with Sesame Workshop, the celebration also incorporated playful psychosocial activities featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, helping children explore emotions and build coping skills following the storm. The event concluded with the distribution of toys.
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