Disney World here we come... Two children win dream trip, thanks to Moon Palace Jamaica
Published:Wednesday | June 15, 2016 | 12:00 AM
OCHO RIOS, St Ann:
Two lucky children of workers at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande have been selected winners of an all-expense-paid trip to Disney World in Florida during the summer, courtesy of the hotel's Palace Foundation.
"The Palace Foundation has five main areas of focus," explained Natalie Boreland, head of Palace Foundation at the property. These are health, wellness, environment, education and dreams.
"In this particular case, the Dreams Programme, one of the things we do we offer two children the opportunity to go to Disney World, all expense paid. "We also offer three nights,four days complimentary, all-inclusive weekend to children who are terminally ill, children who are disabled, children having special needs. Those are two of the main things we do for Dreams, but we also do partnerships with a number of places."
The Gleaner was able to speak with one of the winners, 10-year-old Trishann Freemantle, student of Exchange All-Age School and of a Content Gardens address in Ocho Rios.
She was ecstatic when her mother, Kenisha Rowe, who works in the hotel's Sanitation Department, went home with the news one night recently.
"The night when my mommy came in and she told me, I couldn't sleep at all," Rowe said.
Admitting that the trip was a dream come true for her, she said: "I am excited. I hear it's a nice place and has lots of rides, I think I will have a lot of fun and meet other people, and I always wanted to have my passport because I always wish to travel."
Thankful
Her mom was equally excited. She explained:
"When I heard, I was like 'Wow!' At first I wanted to cry, but I couldn't cry let Miss Natalie see, so I went into the bathroom and started crying and I was saying 'Thank you Jesus,' knowing that it's an experience for her, knowing that I'm a parent who's trying my best with them (my children). Trust me, I'm so excited."
She couldn't wait for 11 o'clock to come that night to go home to tell Trishann.
"Come 11 o'clock, come now," she kept urging the clock.
"When I reached home and told her, she started making a lot of noise, I had free nights on my phone, she called her auntie, she called her father, she was just calling, calling everybody."
For children of workers to qualify, they have to be between 10 and 15 years old.
Staff must be employed at the hotel for at least six months, with good attendance and work record and contributing to the Foundation.
Out of the numbers, we do a raffle and pick two persons," Boreland explained.
The two winners will leave during the summer holidays, accompanied by Boreland.