The One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF), hosted their Annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 27th, 2024. The event held in celebration of OEF’s 12th Anniversary, was held during the week of International Earth Day, with a focus on sustainability and environmental awareness.
The Festival, which began at 10am until 7pm on the Saturday, was geared towards families coming out and enjoying the day. Vendor booths surrounded the pool area of The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) campus in Rock Sound with its beautifully spacious surrounding lawn and gardens. Shawna McCartney, Community Engagement and Special Events Officer, explained, “We wanted to create a family-friendly environment, and an experience that would allow people to expand their awareness.”
Vendor booths included offerings of a variety of foods, drinks, artisanal crafts, goods, jewelry, as well as organizational booths, providing information and awareness of different aspects of Eleuthera’s environment. “Some of the vendors we have today are people who would normally participate in our Farmer’s Market events – we wanted to create a variety of wholesome food and drink options for people to enjoy. In addition, we also invited some of the local organizations that we partner with from time to time, to help spread our message, like the Eleuthera Sustainability Council, Clean Beaches Eleuthera, The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, BAMSI, as well as Family Medicine Center conducting free screenings,” said Ms. McCartney.
Schools were also invited to take part in the Festival by competing with art pieces conveying an environmental message, and three schools showcased entries – including North Eleuthera High School, Tarpum Bay Primary and Deep Creek Primary School. Entries submitted included a variety of mediums, including paper mache, shellwork, recycled art, and more.
Other highlights of the afternoon, included a local live band performance by the New Vision band, a demonstration by the Eleuthera Royal Youth Corp (ERYC), led by RBPF Officer Brown, as well as fun activities on the lawn – including a sack race, organized by a group of visiting Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA) leaders, from across The Bahamas – who chose to spend a special ‘day away’ in Eleuthera, with OEF’s Earth Day Festival. A live Junkanoo Rushout by the Tarpum Bay Junkanoo Superstars climaxed the evening activities.
