Boy, 9, wins Hilton Barbados Resort’s Christmas Card Drawing Competition - by Barbados Today December 22, 2018

Nine-year-old Ashcher Bynoe-Chewitt is the winner of the 2018 Hilton Barbados Resort’s Christmas Card Drawing Competition, which took place recently.

The Bay Primary School student took the top position from among 11 other students, winning himself a trophy, a day pass for a family of four, including lunch at the resort, and the use by Hilton Barbados Resort of his winning piece as the cover of the resort’s Christmas card for 2018.

Second place in the competition titled Preserving Our World this Christmas went to Mark Holder and third to Cashkiey Mars, both also of Bay Primary.

Hilton Barbados Resort’s Senior Sales Manager, Teresa Nicholls explained that the event was the climax to the brand’s annual Global Week of Sales. The theme for the week was Travel with a Purpose, which comprised various activities focused on the company’s corporate social responsibility, community involvement and environmental preservation efforts.

At the Hilton Barbados Resort, the Sales and Marketing Team ended the week with the Christmas Card Drawing competition for students of the Bay Primary School and the Albert Cecil Graham Development Centre, formerly The Children’s Development Centre focusing on preserving our world.

Nicholls said, “It was an absolute delight for us to host this event for the students and to observe the unique style and creativity each brought to the competition, which was judged by Dawn Lisa Callender-Smith and two of our guests, Janie and Mike Prior. In addition to the competition, they also participated in a sing-along session, played games, interacted with members of our team and were treated to lunch in our Lighthouse Restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed every moment.”

She added that as Hilton Worldwide prepares for its centennial anniversary, the company is taking a bold step by launching its 2030 Travel with Purpose Goals, committing to doubling its investment in social impact and cutting our environmental footprint in half through responsible hospitality across our value chain.

“We believe the success of our business is directly linked to the success of our communities – from the local owners who build our hotels, to the local talent who operate them, to the local businesses we support through the products we source and the guests we serve,” Nicholls said.

Teacher at Bay Primary, Nicola Jones, described it as a wonderful experience. She said: “We cannot measure the positive impact this type of activity has on our students. Art is not the subject that gets a lot of attention, but it really does help with the development of our students.

“They totally enjoyed the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing and we say thanks to Hilton Barbados for providing this opportunity. A special thanks also to Hilton’s Julian Boyce, who took time out to interact with the boys, which was one of the highlights for us.”

Amelia Samuel, Teacher in Charge of the Educational Unit of the Albert Cecil Graham Development Centre, also termed the event an ideal one for her students, saying, “I believe it is very important for them to be involved in a day like this because it harnesses their skills, allows them to have the opportunity to showcase their creativity and imagination, and also assists with developing their social skills.

“This is the type of activity we would love to see more of for our students, where they are invited not only to attend as spectators, but to participate as well. This was a great day out for them, which they really enjoyed and we thank Hilton Barbados for organizing this contest and allowing us the opportunity to participate.”