When Red Sail Sports opened its doors for business in Grand Cayman more than 25 years ago, management made community involvement one of its core principles. Today, our company continues to demonstrate this commitment by making contributions to assisting youth sports and a variety of selected charities.
While we may be renowned for Grand Cayman diving trips and boat excursions, we are just as proud of our community initiatives. In this blog, we spotlight just some of the contributions Red Sail Sports has made to the place we call home, including financial contributions to the Special Olympics Cayman Islands, the Six4Hospice Challenge, and Sail Sports.
If you have any questions for our team, please don’t hesitate to contact us for the answers you need.
Internships and Job Offers for CIFEC Students in Grand Cayman
This school year, through partnerships with the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre (CIFEC), the School of Hospitality Studies and Mentoring Cayman, Red Sail Sports has continued to focus on introducing young Caymanians to career opportunities in tourism.
As part of the School of Hospitality Studies apprenticeship program, 17- 17-year-old Ashleigh Whittaker apprenticed as a beach attendant in her second and third semesters. Ashleigh has decided on a career in tourism, at this point specifically in watersports. A year ago she wasn’t sure which career path to take, but the internship and her experience with Red Sail Sports has changed that.
“The program was an absolute eye-opener because it helped me better plan my future. I learned to set goals, and by setting goals it gave me something to work for, which is an amazing feeling every time you achieve one,” she said. “Before I took part, I was really unsure about what I wanted to do, or if I would truly find my passion in work, but as I progressed through the program and visited different areas of hospitality it became clear that my passion was in the water sports field.”
The students worked two days a week during the school year and attended classes for three days. After orientation and on-the-job training, they learn lessons in professionalism, customer interaction, work priorities, and hard work. Ashleigh Whittaker apprenticed as a beach attendant for two semesters, and she plans to continue her apprenticeship for the third semester.
“My experience with the Red Sail Sports team has been truly amazing,” she said. “I have learned a lot about myself, the people I work with, and Red Sail Sports in total. It was very inspiring to have such a positive working environment, especially since everyone was so willing to show me the ropes. Everyone took me right under their wing and when I made mistakes they didn’t criticize me, they instead showed me how to do whatever the task was in the right way. I feel overwhelmed with happiness to be a part of the Red Sail family.”
Ashleigh says her mentor, Delano Mitchell, played a big role in her success. “He helped me to come out of my shell, which made it much easier for me to interact with guests and build bonds.”
“We are so proud of these students,” said Beth Hiryok, Red Sail Sports Training Manager. “This has been our best year ever in terms of success rate. Of the seven who began the program in September, six successfully completed it. The students have shown a positive attitude, enthusiasm for the job, and eagerness to learn; what we consider to be critical to their success.”
Red Sail Sports managers and mentors are involved, and credited with, making sure the students have a positive experience so they can grow and succeed. Supporting the programs from the start, they attended the initial student career fair in September and assisted with interviews and placement. Once the students were placed, Red Sail Sports staffers served as career coaches and mentors throughout the year to help the students adjust to the professional environment of the company and learn real-life lessons meant to boost their confidence with co-workers and customers.
“We saw positive changes in these students through the year, from the start of the program to the end of the program,” said Hiryok. “Of the six who completed the program, three students will be offered permanent positions with the company.”
The success of the student work experience programs depends on strong partnerships between the students, the parents, the employers, and the schools, so to foster these partnerships Red Sail Sports hosted a Sunset Sail for everyone involved. The sail provided a great opportunity for people to mingle and discuss the successes and challenges of the program.
“Red Sail Sports has acknowledged on a regular basis, interns that have demonstrated the commitment and behaviours that showcase the values of the company, and this was evident by the Sunset Sail organized to congratulate Red Sail Interns on a job well done!” said Heather-Ann Cahill of the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre. “Red Sail Sports has been an excellent advocate and supporter of the Internship Programme …consistently so.”
Three of Red Sail Sports’ staff also participated in the Chamber of Commerce’s Mentoring Cayman program this year. The program matches mentors with mentees with common interests and career choices to help participants achieve professional goals. Two of the students at Red Sail Sports with an interest in marine biology explored scuba diving for the first time and Red Sail sponsored their certification as part of the mentorship program.
Special Olympics Cayman Islands, the Six4Hospice Challenge, and Sail Sports
The Red Sail Group has also made donations to Six4Hospice, including a US $25,000 donation! “It’s fantastic! A most needed boost during this quiet time,” said Derek Haines, who pledged to raise $1 million by running six marathons in one year. The proceeds will be used to build a permanent inpatient care facility for Cayman Hospice Care, and Haines says the donation helps keep up the momentum during this slow season. “Because of hurricane season, I decided not to run a race at this time so there is a three-month gap in fundraising,” he said.
Red Sail Sports also pledged $10,000 to the Special Olympics Cayman Islands (SOCI), something it has done for several years. In addition to monetary donations, the company also makes one of its 65-foot luxury catamarans available to the SOCI every month to help generate additional income. The Red Sail Sports sales team will be assisting the Special Olympics with this fundraising effort by promoting the catamaran sails in the local business community and assisting with bookings. The proceeds from the charter all go to benefit SOCI programs.
“The Red Sail Group is a model organization when it comes to community involvement with corporate social responsibility,” said Nick Freeland of the Special Olympics Cayman Islands. “The Group is a long-term supporter of Special Olympics Cayman Islands and this relationship really is a partnership. Not only has the Red Sail Group (RSG) been extremely generous financially to our organization over many years, but their staff and family members support the training programs for our athletes as volunteers.”
As the SOCI Sports Director, Penny McDowall makes it a family affair. The Red Sail Group is also a Silver Sponsor of the annual Eric Crutchley Memorial Golf Tournament, and it also provides support with jobs.
“Finding employment for our athletes is not always easy and here again the Red Sail Group has stepped up,” says Freeland. “Special Olympics athlete Andrew Smiley has been working with them for a number of years.”
In 2015 SOCI is sending its largest delegation ever to the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles and Freeland says they will need all the financial support they can get. “So again, a big thank you from SOCI to Attlee Bodden, Adrien Briggs, Rod McDowall, Bill Edwards and the whole team at the Red Sail Group who support our programs and our athletes.”
Red Sail Sports also sponsored the Summer Get Active Challenge to promote healthy living among teens. We supported the 12-week Get Active Challenge to help children get fit and learn about healthy living. Kids participated in beach boot camp and watersports activities. The initiative’s goal was to educate participants and their families about making more nutritious choices at home and away from home.
“The program was a great privilege to be a part of and it was inspiring to see the kids improve over the course of the program. The team building beach games were a huge hit among the kids” said Gary Chernowski, Watersports Manager.
“As Red Sail Sports continues to grow we will share our success with those organizations in the local community that need it, not just financially, but in other ways,” said Rod McDowall, Operations Manager.
Continued Commitment to the Grand Cayman Community
At Red Sail Sports, we’re just as committed to giving back as we are to providing exceptional Grand Cayman diving trips and boat excursions.
Rod McDowall, Operations Manager: “Schools and education remain a top priority so we help when we can. The Red Sail Group takes its community service obligations seriously and that’s why we stay involved all year long.”
Do you have any questions about our adventures and activities? Would you like to talk to us about community projects? Please just get in touch with our team!
