WOW! What an incredible week my husband and I had as the very, VERY lucky winners of the 2009 Treasure Beach Foundation villa raffle! We took six of our dear friends along and enjoyed the following……

• Fabulous weather all week at the very beautiful, spacious, welcoming and comfortable Rainbow Tree Villa. It was like being in paradise.

I especially want to thank the following people and businesses, who were so generous in their villa raffle donations to make our stay extraordinary:

• Rebecca and Treasure Tours for our transportation to and from the airport to Rainbow Tree. Kenny Mills and Silvan James were wonderful drivers.
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• YS Falls for the admission and Aman Parchment for the transportation to and from the Falls. The new zip line was a thrilling adventure! Try it—you’ll love it.

• MarBlue’s SeaSide Restaurant for a fabulous dinner.

• Bebe (Bernard Sutherland) for the terrific tour up the Black River with a stop at Floyd’s Pelican Bar.

• Floyd Forbes for cooking and serving a great fish lunch. What a kick that place is!!

• Driftwood Spa at Jake’s for two great massages in their very lovely new spa.

• Chamelia Lyons for all the great fish we enjoyed.

• We didn’t get to do the Sunset Cruise on the Shallow Bar donated by Dennis Abrahams because of some rough seas the day we wanted to go, but we’ll catch you next time!

Very, very special thanks to the incredibly capable, generous, warm, lovely staff at Rainbow Tree, who couldn’t do enough to make sure our stay was just perfect! They made delicious meals and snacks and desserts and catered to our every whim. Thank you SO MUCH to Miss Laura, Miss Jenny, Miss Verlin, Miss Medita and Calvin. You are all the best!!! We all miss you a lot already and can’t wait to be with you on our next trip down --- we WILL be back!!

And, many thanks to Karen and Peter Kennedy, whose Treasure Beach Foundation made it all possible. (Plus, they donated the week at Rainbow Tree for all of us to enjoy.) The raffle is a fabulous way to raise money for this amazing cause—Treasure Beach Foundation. The real blessing is to be able to contribute to the wonderful and deserving kids who are awarded scholarships to be able to go to excellent high schools. As we thanked each of the people/businesses who donated their time and services, they each acknowledged that they loved doing it “for the kids”.

We are all still basking and glowing from the great time we had. Can’t thank everyone enough! It was such a special time!!

Warm regards,
Bev Nerenberg

P.S. To see all they do, take a look at www.TreasureBeachFoundation.org. I was amazed!

Bev, I am so happy you had a GRAND time! Do you have any pictures to post?

Sounds so nice. Glad you enjoyed. Any pictures?

I feel even worse I didn't win after reading your wonderful trip report, Bev.

Where are the PHOTOS? Want to see them.

Pictures will be coming, I promise. My husband and I are not too great with our camera, so we are waiting for the other couples who accompanied us to send us some photos we can post. Please be patient.

I know people want to see trip photos. I do too. But I think one of the most important part of Bev's trip report was somehow missed. Their entire winning vacation was because of fundraising for the benefit of the children of Treasure Beach. Many generous people of Treasure Beach donated their services or goods to make the raffle something wonderful and exciting to enter. This was all in the spirit of giving.
It is more important to give than to get. Let each of us keep that in mind as we go into Christmas.

Yes, Mother, the important thing is the children of TB are the ones who have benefited from the Villa Raffle. This is one of the best causes I know to which to make a contribution (in addition to buying tickets to the annual Villa Raffle.) I know even a small check will help keep these wonderful scholarship kids in school.

God Bless.

Am sitting here with snow piling up. Would I like to see those pictures right now! Even better, I would like to be in Treasure Beach right now!

You think it's bad in DC? Try Charlottesville. I've never seen so much snow. I am trapped in my house. Want to be in TB.

We had a fabulous rain in the middle of the night Friday night. It was like the skies opened up. As we are suffering drought conditions, this was a very welcome rain.

It was a bit chilly last night (high 70's/low 80's) and it is overcast with a bit of drizzle falling this morning. It actually feels great after so many hot, dry and windy days.

The sky is that kinda grey where if I was back in Massachusetts I would think we were getting snow. But, gratefully, I can look down from the sky at flowers and green vegetation, watch the many butterflies flittering around in the garden, and wait for my family and friends in Massachusetts to call me telling me their snow stories (we New Englanders love to talk about the weather).

My sympathies to all of you stuck in the snow . . . but then again there is something kinda special about a white Christmas.

Sending Jamaican warmth and morning glory your way.

To everyone in Treasure Beach--and everyone who lives in places that are warm and sunny, here is a photo of a 40-inch diameter table taken in our yard this morning.

Where have all the flowers gone?

This is my picture

You have no idea how much we are missing Treasure Beach.

Pretty funny to have a house in TB and be stuck in that snow.

Nice Karen! COLD here, but NO snow! If I have to be in the cold, then LET IT SNOW!