PHILIPSBURG:---- Sint Maarten’s community came out in full force for the second annual SXM DOET event held on March 11th and 12th. Around 1000 volunteers successfully completed 43 projects registered by 30 various organizations from all around the Dutch side of the island. The SXM DOET team was thrilled to see that so many organizations and volunteers that participated last year signed up for SXM DOET 2016. A number of new organizations joined in on the cause, which the team had hoped for, increasing the number of projects and thus the positive effects of SXM DOET on the community at large.
SXM DOET is part of the largest volunteer initiative ever launched in the Dutch Kingdom and Sint Maarten. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that locally existing organizations successfully execute a project, one they have not yet been able to, which benefits themselves, and in turn, the community. The participating organizations were diverse and their projects varied to an even greater extent; emphasizing the various ways a person can give back to society. This led to having projects geared to everyone's liking and capabilities, thereby attracting persons from all walks of life, all ages, nationalities, skills and interests.
Individuals but also businesses, schools, social organizations, sporting and church groups, friends and families, all joined in to help build community/ vegetable gardens, fix gazebos, build and school benches and stages, build animal feeding stations, paint fences, buildings, and murals; entertain persons with special needs, collecting and providing food and clothing items for the less fortunate; planting and trimming trees, doing clean ups, refurbishing playgrounds and sporting facilities, helping with health fair activities, spa days, day trips out for entertainment or sports, and the list goes on and on. Government officials including Sarah Wescott-Williams, Cornelius de Weever, Shermina Powell Richardson on behalf of Silveria Jacobs, Tamara E. Leonard were also out and about lending a hand for SXM DOET, setting a good example for all to follow. Many persons and groups even participated for both days and for multiple projects. Not only residents, but also frequent visitors to the island participated in SXM DOET as well.
This year, a few media-teams also volunteered for SXM DOET; Social-media whizzes, professional photographers and talented filmmakers made sure to visit various SXM DOET projects to document all of the amazing efforts and progress made during the two days. The SXM DOET team has been and will keep posting all pictures on their Facebook site www.facebook.com/SXMDOET for everyone to enjoy and requests persons to post their pictures to the site as well, and/or by hashtagging them with #SXMDOET. The official www.SXMDOET.com website is also updating its photos on a regular basis.
When including the volunteers from the participating organizations, plus the registered volunteers that signed up via the www.SXMDOET.com website, along with persons who decided to join in on the initiative last minute, there is an estimate of about 1000 total volunteers having participated during the two SXM DOET days of 2016. The SXM DOET coordinating team and members of the Be The Change Foundation were very excited about the turnout and accomplishments of SXM DOET 2016.
The team would also like to thank RMG Designs, Heavenly Water, Kooyman, Divico, Cake House, Green Fingers, Easy Print, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, Buccaneer Beach Bar, Metiss Pastry, Viva Signs, Antillean Liquors, Island 92, the Philipsburg Broadcasting Company (specifically: Laser 101), Caribbean Legacy as well as those companies who supported organizations on their own accord, Samenwerkende Fondsen and last but definitely not least, the Oranje Fonds to whom the initiation of SXM DOET and it's funding deserves all credit.
SXM DOET team: “We are so proud of all the hard work by the organizations, businesses and volunteers that supported and participated in SXM DOET 2016. It is great to see so many persons coming out to help Sint Maarten become a better place, one small step at a time; as the SXM DOET slogan states: Together We Achieve More. A heartfelt thank you therefore goes out to all the participating organizations and selfless volunteers who donated their time, energy, heart and dedication this past weekend. Without them this initiative would not have been nearly as successful as it was!”
The team is now already looking forward to SXM DOET 2017, as they are expecting the initiative to grow bigger and better every year! They hope that the initiative has also opened the eyes of many persons, as to how many great organizations and community projects there are locally. Stimulating volunteerism, empathy and altruism as a whole, as well as creating unity amongst the different interest groups on Sint Maarten, has therefore highlighted the many remarkable, selfless persons our Friendly Island has.
