Day 5 -- Handing It Over to the Children

By: MDRT Foundation Team

The team spent the first half of the day spreading the piles of sand evenly over the playground, preparing it for the children. After lunch, the tent was erected to house the dedication ceremony, and balloons and decorative ribbons were hung around the park in celebration. The flag poles were erected and the Bahamian and MDRT flags were raised high to remind the community of the local and international efforts that revitalized Sea Grape Community Park.

This afternoon, the dedication ceremony was a huge celebration, complete with schoolchildren performing dance routines, a high school choir, and both local school and professional Junkanoo groups. Junkanoo is a traditional Bahamian style of music and dance, complete with costumed drummers.

A number of dignitaries attended the ceremony, most notably the Right Honorable Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie MP as well as two Senators and other governmental authorities. Their attendance signified the importance of this project not just for the local community, but for the entire country. The Prime Minister acknowledged MDRT members as people who give to others, and thanked us as “contributing so magnificently to the islands of the Bahamas.”

When the park was turned over to the children, they rushed the playground, climbing atop the structures, rock walls and swings. Within just a few seconds every piece of equipment was crowded with children and their smiles and laughter were the reward for all the volunteers. We watched with joy for several minutes, then began the long walk back to the bus for the last time to leave Sea Grape.

Top photo: The prime minister (center) is pictured with MDRT members (from left) Sandra Sturrup-Evans, Tiger Longley (hat), John Marshall Lee, Sally Munford and Arthur Salomon.

By: Anthony “Tiger” Longley, MDRT member from Nassau, Bahamas

When I first nominated the Bahamas for this project and knew a playground was coming, I had a pretty good idea of what the end result would be. I think what overwhelms me is that it all came together in a short amount of time. The Kids Around the World team really has this down to a science.

The end result of this project has been much more than I expected it could ever be. The excitement and participation of this community was wonderful. I am elated that MDRT came to my country — just a mere dot on the globe. The fact that they chose us overwhelms me. After this experience and what our country has received, I hope it inspires my fellow Bahamians to think globally — about giving, not just receiving. This experience has certainly made me think this way.

By: Gregory Bonamy, MDRT member from Nassau, Bahamas

Although I live in Nassau, I spend a lot of time on Grand Bahama Island in Eight Mile Rock. If you would have come to this area back in September 2005, you couldn’t even drive down the street in front of the park because of the hurricane debris.

This playground is phenomenal. In the Bahamas, “playground” usually means a basketball court, swings and maybe a teeter-totter. The children here have never seen anything like this. To the community of Sea Grape, Eight Mile Rock, this park is going to be the nerve center. The park has been vacant since the storms. Now, it will bring the community closer. This new park puts this community on the map — everybody is talking about this.

MDRT and Industry Playground Volunteers

Paulette Theresa Adderley: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Julie Celestina Adderley-McIntosh: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Gloria Jean Archer: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Gregory H. Bonamy: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Lynne S. Crow, CLU, ChFC: Paramus, New Jersey, USA
Emaline Curry: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Deborah D. Delancy: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Deveral Lueann Ferguson: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Larry G. Gocool, CLU, ChFC: San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago
H. Kent Heise, CLU, ChFC: Rockford, Illinois, USA
James W. Hessenthaler, CLU, ChFC: Gurnee, Illinois, USA
Alfreda Rosemary Knowles: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
John Marshall Lee, CLU, RHU: Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
Anthony J. Longley: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
David Maynard: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Sally W. Munford, CLU, ChFC: San Antonio, Texas, USA
Shena Munroe: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Arthur R. Salomon: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Robert B. Shearer, CLU, ChFC: Missouri City, Texas, USA
Jerry D. Sletten: Rockford, Illinois, USA
Pam Smith: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Wendell Smith: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Sandra S. Sturrup: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Diane Verbeeck: Aarschot, Belgium
Winifred V. Ward: Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Andre Douglas Wilmott: Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Godfried Wouters: Aarschot, Belgium

Day 4 -- And Then the Cement Came

By: MDRT Foundation Team

You know you’re nearing the end when the cement is delivered. Everything is coming together, and the cement is the finishing touch — holding all of our hard work in place. The cementing process is best described as fast and furious — men racing through the park to fill the holes and get back in line for another wheelbarrow full as the cement pours out of the truck. With more than 100 holes to fill, the park was a flurry of fast-paced activity.

The local children — unfazed by all of the adults running around — came inside the park to investigate the playground. We explained that even though the playground was assembled, it wasn’t yet time to play. It will take 24 hours for the cement to harden before the playground would be ready for its first customers.

Tomorrow, we will add all of the finishing touches and open the playground with a dedication ceremony. All of our hard work will pay off in the currency of children’s smiles.

By: Andre Wilmott, MDRT member and Membership Communications Committee Local Chair from Freeport, Bahamas

Basically, the entire Eight Mile Rock community was devastated by the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. Debris and rain destroyed the park and surrounding neighborhood. Some parts of this area had no power for up to four months. Everything was black. Now two years later, people are beginning to get their lives back together.

This playground will help with that effort by providing the community with hope. The economy is still slow in this area. This will be a big, big lift and boost to this area. A lot of people will be using this park — it never had the amenities we’re putting in now.

This is the first time I’ve physically done a project of this size. When I first heard we were going to complete this in five days, I didn’t believe it. With the numbers (of people) we’ve had come out, we can do it. Knowing that the life insurance industry made this project possible is a tribute to my profession. This is one of the best things I’ve seen done by any organization worldwide. MDRT is not just about prestige and production; we help the less fortunate all around the world.

By: Bob Shearer, MDRT member from Houston, Texas

This is the fourth playground build I’ve been on with the MDRT Foundation and Kids Around the World. The sense of fulfillment — as simple as that sounds — is what keeps me coming back to participate in these projects.

An example of a memorable part of this trip is when I stopped to talk to the children who were walking home from school. One of them asked me, “How much will it cost to play here?” I replied, “Nothing, it’s free.” I’ll never forget that moment.

In general, the MDRT Foundation enables each of us to do much more for others than we can do on our own, and that’s why I’ll continue to stay involved.

By: Alfreda Knowles, MDRT member and MDRT Membership Communications Committee Area Chair from Nassau, Bahamas

As a nine-year MDRT member, I have heard reports of the MDRT Foundation’s work projects while attending the MDRT Annual Meeting. Now I have had the opportunity to see it firsthand. MDRT is an organization known for giving back. It has always been in the business of people helping people.

I spent today clearing and preparing the ground for sand. I helped clear the large stones and spread the soil, creating a more level plain. It is a very gratifying experience — particularly to be helping others right here in my own country. The mere fact that the Bahamas was selected for a playground motivated me to be a part of the project and lend a helping hand.

The local insurance industry gave us great support with this project. Volunteers participated from the four major insurance companies in the Bahamas, offering both physical and monetary contributions.

Day 3 -- Toddler Playground Underway

By: MDRT Foundation Team

Day 3 marks the half-way point for our project. Today, the team built a separate play area for toddler-aged children. Meanwhile, work continued on the main play area, and the shelter’s structural posts were erected. More landscaping work was done, and nearly half the play area is bedded with sand.

It really is amazing how quickly a hurricane can damage an area – but also how quickly we’re able to provide a new and improved park.

By: Arthur Salomon, MDRT member and MDRT Foundation Trustee from Lexington, Kentucky

I started the day today by clearing out holes that were drilled yesterday. The holes are footing for the main structure on the toddler playground. With the holes clear, we were able to assemble the elements of the jungle gym, complete with slides, climbing poles and tunnels. My job was to make sure the pieces of the structure were level as we secured them in place.

I’ve helped on several hands-on volunteer projects through the MDRT Foundation, and I keep coming back for the camaraderie, sense of accomplishment and reward of making a contribution that will withstand time and touch many lives. Our project partner, Kids Around the World, believes that playgrounds are about more than just play. They believe playgrounds help children build developmental and social skills as a building block to success. I believe we all need to give more to the children of the world. What better way than providing a playground that these local kids would not otherwise have.

By: Sandra Sturrup-Evans, MDRT member from Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas
The 2004 and 2005 hurricanes brought disasters to the Bahamas. Many people lost their valuables, homes, businesses and their jobs. Since that time, some of the homes and businesses have been restored. It has been slow progress, but the people are strong with lots of hope for a bright future.

This project is one that the community welcomes and will be enjoyed by all. I’ve enjoyed being in the presence of people who care for others. My teammates and I have spent the past three days clearing the area for the sand bedding, trimming the metal equipment posts, and moving wheelbarrows full of rocks out of the park. I love the participation demonstrated by all. This project is awesome!

Day 2 -- The Playground Takes Shape

By: MDRT Foundation Team

The work we’ve done during the last two days began to take the shape of a playground today. The moment when the team hoisted the swing set up on its legs changed the look of the park in a big way. After that, all of the colorful pieces of plastic and metal stopped looking like parts and started looking like a place for children to have fun.

The Sea Grape Community Park was selected for the new playground because of its central location – near many children who have suffered loss from hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. As we learned from neighbors, the children from Sea Grape and other nearby communities don’t have safe places to play outdoors. With the completion of this playground, children (who attend any one of five local schools) will have a beautiful park, where all of them – from toddlers to teenagers – can play.

The outpouring of help from the community in building this playground continued today, as local government representative Samuel Carter jumped in to help at the work site. The Grand Bahama Power Company brought its machinery to dig 4-foot-deep holes through layers of limestone for the shelter that will protect parents from the sun as they watch their children play. A local plumber offered his carpentry services to assist us in assembling the new bleachers next to the basketball court. Most of this help came from community members who stopped by on our first day and wanted to offer any assistance they could provide.

By: Lynne Crow, MDRT member from Paramus, New Jersey

Our team accomplished a lot today. We installed the rock climbing wall and monkey bars, and erected the swing set. When drilling into the soil, we were surprised when we quickly met with limestone. The result after digging more than 30 post holes was limestone rocks throughout the playground that we had to remove before pouring the soft sand bed. By the end of the day, we were thankful for the local company who came by with their heavy-duty equipment to help with the drilling.

My memory of the hard work will fade, but I won’t forget the way our team worked together, the camaraderie of my old and new friends, the mockingbird that serenaded us as we worked, and the smiling faces of the little kids who stopped by on their way home from school.

As we traveled to and from the worksite, and as we worked in the park, I could see the damage the hurricanes had done to the nearby houses and vegetation. I’m so glad we are able to help this community come back from the damage it has suffered. I enjoy doing volunteer work -- helping others while seeing new places. Besides, when I considered the choice between work and work-play, work-play sounded better.

Day 1 -- Meeting the Community

By: MDRT Foundation Team

Children paused outside the fence of the Sea Grape Community Park, curious to see what we were doing. Word got out that the new playground would be ready Friday afternoon after school. They could hardly believe that it could happen so fast, but the volunteers could hardly believe we could see the completed project in just five days. We started the morning off strong to be sure we would be ready for the kids.

It all started at 8 a.m., when we gathered on site and received our instructions for the day. The team dug holes, unloaded each piece of the playground equipment and the nuts and bolts that would hold it all together, moved sand and began assembling the structures.

During the day, we got to meet many people from the local community -- some who worked alongside us and others who provided us warm hospitality. Several business and community leaders provided us with support in a variety of ways. A woman from the community cooked us a Bahamian lunch, neighbors stopped by to thank us, and four local media outlets came to report on the park renovations and interview members of our team.

At the end of the day, we're astonished by the progress we've already made, and look forward to keeping pace tomorrow.


By: Larry Gocool, MDRT member from Trinidad and Tobago

When we arrived at the worksite, it was a blank slate. We started from scratch, and I'm excited to see how the park changes from start to finish. The entire team's spirits were up, and they all had the right attitude to really change this community.

I'm looking forward to the end of the week, when we complete the playground and feel the satisfaction of knowing that we did something good for this wonderful community.

The Team Arrives

It's Sunday night, and the team has arrived on Grand Bahama Island. More than 45 volunteers will participate in the playground build during the days ahead. Participants from MDRT and our project partner, Kids Around the World, have flown to the Bahamas from a number of countries, including Canada, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Belgium and the Bahamas.

The week kicked off tonight with a welcome reception, which offered volunteers the chance to meet one another, and gave MDRT leadership the opportunity to thank them for the work they'll do this week.

"The Foundation has always been committed to giving back more than just dollars," said Sally W. Munford, CLU, ChFC, a Foundation Trustee from San Antonio, Texas. "The fact that each of you have chosen to give your time for the benefit of others is the perfect example of this philosophy."

The team settled in for the night, ready for an early start on the playground tomorrow morning. We hope you'll check back tomorrow for an update from one of the volunteers, and for a look at a photo of our progress.

Looking Forward...Looking Back

On March 11–17, 2007, a group of MDRT member volunteers will join the resilient locals of Eight Mile Rock, in West End, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas to build a playground for the children of this underserved community. The small island is the second most populous island of the Bahamas and is located approximately 55 miles off the coast of south Florida.

As the MDRT Foundation and volunteer team members look forward and prepare for the exciting playground build ahead, we also look back on the events that caused extensive damage to this community after consecutive-year hurricanes.

Community leaders and residents in Eight Mile Rock (EMR) have been working hard to rebuild their community after it suffered considerable damage from Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Hurricanes Wilma and Gene in 2005.

Hurricane Wilma became what many locals have said was the most devastating hurricane the island has ever seen. It left at least a thousand Bahamians homeless and hundreds more with out water, food and electricity for 4-6 weeks after the storm. Small, remote fishing villages like EMR sustained the heaviest damage.

“This is the worst one I’ve been through,” Samuel Mation, 74, recounted to representatives of National Geographic as he sifted through the remains of his small home in EMR. “I moved to Grand Bahama in 1960, and this is the worst one I’ve seen.”

Anthony "Tiger" J. Longley a 16-year MDRT member from Nassau, Bahamas, nominated the Seagrape Community Park, in EMR, for the MDRT Foundation playground when he learned the MDRT Foundation was planning another member volunteer project. He selected EMR because it is the only area that has otherwise not received any support or commitment for community park development. “This is going to be really upscale, and in fact, right now I don’t know of anything in New Providence [an island to the south where the capital city of Nassau is located] that will compare to what we are going to be building here in EMR,” Longley said.

The MDRT Foundation is partnering, for the fifth time, with Kids Around the World (KIDS) for this playground build. The MDRT Foundation awarded KIDS a $100,000 grant to fund the cost of purchasing and shipping the playground equipment to Grand Bahama Island. KIDS, which is based in Rockford, Illinois, is committed to building colorful playgrounds throughout the world for children who are affected by poverty, natural disasters, and political unrest.

The team of MDRT volunteers, who are participating at their own expense, will dig holes and construct equipment to create a safe and fun place to play for the children and families of this coastal fishing village. This playground will include a separate toddler play area and volunteers will also make necessary improvements to the existing basketball court and bleachers. Upon completion this state-of-the-art playground will become a recreational landmark that will create lasting hope and many moments of joy and laughter for the people of EMR.