PHILIPSBURG:--- At Sundial School, Monday, December 12th, all pupils involved in the Crystal Pineapple Awards were honored by receiving both an official certificate by the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) as well as a 100 dollar voucher by Grand Marché Supermarkets. At the meeting, organizing party SHTA expressed gratitude regarding the proficient work of the volunteers and looking forward to continuing the close working relationship.
With the Grand Marché donations handed over on Monday, Danny Ramchandani materialized the promise made during his acceptance speech of his Businessman of the Year Crystal Pineapple Award. His gesture of offering $100 worth shopping at his supermarkets to the hard working Sundial volunteers of that night was well received by the audience. Ramchandani was awarded the title Businessman of the Year by the board of SHTA for his relentless support for Sint Maarten’s community and ability to look beyond his business interest to the greater good of country Sint Maarten.
Ramchandani’s gesture towards the Sundial kids only illustrated how the 2016 Crystal Pineapple Awards had a large Sundial element. Well-known Sundial teacher Bart Peut was lauded with the “Tourism Ambassador of the Year” award for his large efforts in assisting the Sint Maarten culinary team to win a gold medal this year at Taste of the Caribbean. Sundial was highlighted even further as next to teacher Peut himself, a former pupil of his won an award. Former Sundial student Wendell Laurence, now chef at Big Fish Restaurant, received the honors of Chef of the Year 2016.
SHTA personally thanked Tahinia Gregory, Jahera Philbert, Leshandra Illis, Rosio Castillo, Zaria Scott, Andrew Gordon, Reyerson Le Blanc, Rafael Hanson, K tania Proctor, Beatrix Cannegieter and Erika Mercedes for their hard work by a personal certificate. SHTA hopes that this small sign of approval by Sint Maarten’s key hospitality and trade association will open doors for their further hospitality career. The association, having had very good comments about this year’s event, gratefully shares those compliments with the school as the Sundial pupils played their essential part in that success.
SHTA stressed not to underestimate their achievement accomplished on November 19th. Being the largest in-house event of the island, 400 people need to be catered for in a very lively and busy setting of speeches, music acts, movies and last but not least award ceremonies. That makes the annual gala a great, but steep learning curve that the pupils showed very apt coping with.
As a way to celebrate the long term cooperation with Sundial and Bart Peut and this special year within Sundial and SHTA working together, both SHTA team and board will enjoy the upcoming Christmas lunch at the school’s Le Source Restaurant on December 15.
