Cadets and officer candidates from the United States Coast Guard Tall Ship Eagle spent their time in St. Maarten productively on Saturday when they came out in full force to help spruce up the recently acquired Tzu Chi Foundation building, which will be occupied by the All Children's Education (ACE) Foundation school as of the new academic year.
The volunteer activity was coordinated by Jack Stevens of the Navy League with assistance from the Harbour Group of Companies. A group of about 50 cadets and officer candidates from the Eagle helped to paint the interior and exterior of the building, clean the yard; remove debris and fix the fence among other voluntary work.
They worked arduously and enthusiastically and were very happy to have been able to do something positive while in St. Maarten.
Their assistance has helped Tzu Chi Foundation make strides in its efforts to get the property ready to be occupied by ACE students at the start of the upcoming academic year. Foundation volunteers usually visit the property on weekends and work alongside professionals to help get the building ready.
The Foundation has also received assistance from a number of other businesses and individuals in the community such as the Sonesta Maho Group of Companies.
A lot of work still needs to be done and many more items are still needed, but the foundation is working arduously on this education mission in its efforts to do its part to help mold young minds in a positive, clean and comfortable setting.
The US Coast Guard Tall Ship Eagle for its 2013 sailing schedule is traveling to the Caribbean, along the Eastern Seaboard, and to Canada with cadets and officer candidates, teaching them practical seamanship skills while indoctrinating them in the Coast Guard's floating leadership laboratory.
The Eagle was built at the Blohm + Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany in 1936, and commissioned as Horst Wessel. The Eagle became one of three sail-training ships operated by the pre-World War II German Navy.
Tzu Chi Commissioner Sandra Cheung said the Foundation is extremely grateful for all those who are supporting this initiative in whatever way they can. She also thanked Jack Stevens and the cadets and officer candidates from the Eagle who were kind enough to spend their spare time in the interest of education.
