Treasure Beach Foundation’s 5th annual villa raffle starts today.

100% of the proceeds will go to our scholarship fund. Your participation will help us continue to fulfill our educational commitments to the youth of Treasure Beach.

Tickets are still only $25 for one or five for $100. They can be purchased online (in any currency) or via check (U.S. checks only). All money must be received by April 27.

When we said we had a surprise, we meant it. This is a double villa raffle. Buy one ticket and have two chances to win! Win a week either at Rainbow Point or Shakti.

You can download a PDF version here:

pdf 2010VillaRaffle_Final.pdf (358.1 k)

Wow, that is a nice surprise, Karen. Two for 1! And both of those villas are fantastic.

Here are what the last two winners have had to say about their free week (if the dates are wrong, please let us know)
2009 Winners
2008 Winners
2006 Winners

For those who don't know about the Treasure Beach Foundation and all its good efforts, here are links to threads outlining their work with scholarships and more (if anyone else finds more links, please post them in follow up messages). Of course, their own web site has a lot of good information as well.

2009 Scholarships Awarded

2008 Scholarships Awarded

Follow up on Scholarship winners

Follow up on Scholarship winners

TB Foundation given special award by Hampton School for their scholarship support

TB Foundation newsletter

Request for laptops for scholarship winners

As the owners and operators of this site, we are not affiliated with the TB Foundation but we do give our full support to them and encourage everyone to buy as many raffle tickets as they can to help fund the scholarship program which is making such a difference in the lives of Treasure Beach's youth. They also take direct donations via their web site.

We also encourage you to forward this information to as many people as you can. You should be able to copy the text above and also download and attach both the PDF and the image and put it all in an email. Please include a link to this page: http://webtonic.info/cgi-bin/discus_tbnet/show.cgi?tpc=1584&post=58206#POST58206

Thanks for the Treasure Beach Foundation and all its supports for the opportunity they provide to the youth of Treasure Beach.

-TBNet

Must say some things here about the raffle and about Treasure Beach Foundation. First, two tickets for the price of one is a great and wonderful surprise. Second, this money is going for a fantastic cause. Third, I had a question and sent them an email and received a reply in less than 10 minutes. Never expected that sort of responsiveness. I was blown away.

This whole thing is amazing. Being selfish, I want no one else to buy a ticket. Being human and really caring about kids, I want lots of people to support this cause.

"Anonymous" (with no name or address or phone number) will be very disappointed if their raffle ticket is one of the winning ones. Please be sure to fill in your name, address, and telephone number on the online form unless you wish to make an anonymous donation.

Thank you.

Wow, this is a wonderful surprise! I'd be happy to stay in either location. I have to second everything written by "Fan." I am always happy to give money to this foundation.

I don't have a lot of 'extra' money, and have to be very picky about which groups I will give to. I give money to the scholarship program of my college, to the women's literacy organization I work for, to my local public radio station, and to Treasure Beach Foundation. The literacy organization and TBF get the largest donations (which aren't huge, but are as large as I can make them) because they do so much with so little, and their work has such a direct impact.

I have a collection of photos of scholarship recipients on my fridge now, and they make me smile every time I see them. As much as I want to be the winner of this raffle, I sincerly hope everyone who can will buy a ticket to support the wonderful young people of Treasure Beach.

I agree with all the positive things you've said about Treasure Beach Foundation. BUT it is NOT TWO tickets for the price of one. In this years raffle you get two CHANCES to win with ONE ticket. Meaning if the one ticket you bought doesn't get picked for the first villa it still has a chance of being picked for the next one.

Went to the sites and saw all the pictures. Great villas. I LOVE this raffle.

Why does this look almost exactly like Villa YaYa? If it's the same villa, why is the name changed and what does the new name mean?

Yes, this is the former Villa Ja Ja with lots of rennovations and upgrades including Audrey preparing fabulous meals, Sheldon taking great care of the yard, very comfortable furniture, lots of day beds in the yard for sun bathing, an outdoor shell shaped shower, covered verandah, and a brand new yoga hut!

Shakti Home was purchased a few years ago and the new owners changed the name. Wikipedia defines Shakti as the following: Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that move through the entire universe.[1] Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in Hinduism. On the earthly plane, Shakti most actively manifests through female embodiment and fertility, though it is also present in males in its potential, unmanifest form.[2]

Not only is the Shakti responsible for creation, it is also the agent of all change. Shakti is cosmic existence as well as liberation, its most significant form being the Kundalini Shakti,[3] a mysterious psychospiritual force.[4] Shakti exists in a state of svâtantrya, dependence on no-one, being interdependent with the entire universe.

To see more check out www.shaktihomeja.com

Treasure Tours is very familiar with both Shakti Home and Rainbow Point and highly recommend each property. As a matter of fact, all of us at Treasure Tours are hoping one of us wins the raffle so we can crash in on the winner and enjoy a great week at either place!

Thanks for all the very interesting information, and excuse my misspelling of the former name.

Is there a limit to the number of tickets I can buy? I was thinking of buying 10 but the form only allows a miaximum of 5 for $100.

Good question. You may buy as many raffle tickets as you want. I have just reconfigured the online purchase form so you can buy one, two, three, five, or ten tickets in one transaction. If you want a different number than those listed, you'll need to buy them in more than one transaction. (We can't make everyone happy, but we're trying our best.)

Thanks for going to the trouble of changing your form.

To let you know what sort of impact your raffle ticket purchases and donations are making, here is what one of our scholarship recipients wrote to us.

"To me, this scholarship is a Godsend. It is extremely helpful, especially during these times. For my parents there is no need to worry each term for fees, transport, lunch and school supplies because this is all covered by the scholarship. They constantly encourage me to do well because they can't afford for me to lose it."

This student goes on to say, "I would like to say thank you to all who support the Foundation. I know times are tough, and money is tight but you all continue to find a way to contribute to our scholarships. My parents and I truly appreciate your sacrifices."

Visited Treasure Beach for the first time several months ago and have been reading the forum ever since, though I miss some days. I must say I am so impressed with the work this organization does. The scholarship program is very ambitious, and testimonials from the students make it seem more real to me. I am also impressed with the computer learning program in the primary school because not all students can possibly receive a scholarship, so I see this as a way of being fair to all.

We hope these comments from another scholarship student explain the difference your support is making in this student's life:

"First of all, I would like to say that you are lifesavers. If it wasn't for you, I would not have this opportunity. This scholarship means the world to me. If I wasn't given the opportunity to receive a cheque monthly and one at the beginning of each term, then either I would have to stay home or my mother who is diabetic would go blind."

Our question to you is: How can you not have it in your heart to support students such as this?

This is very wonderful and very sad at the same time. I have been through some rough times, but I thank God I have never been in the position where I had to make a choice between saving my own eyesight and sending my daughter and son to high school.

Another of our scholarship students says, "Education is a journey, not a destination. I would like to continue my education beyond high school level."

This scholarship student, like all the scholarship students is tutoring another student for the year. This is one way they have to give back to the community. The student being tutored "is reading beyond her normal level, and her mathematics skills have improved."

Our scholarship student goes on to say, "This scholarship means a lot to my family and myself. We are very grateful to receive this scholarship, and every day I try to do my very best. I know I have a scholarship to maintain, and my family and friends are depending on me to achieve my goals."

To the many people who donated money for this student's scholarship, she implores, "Please keep up the good work that you are doing. May you continue to help children like myself to achieve their goals in life. God Bless you all."

From yesterday's post by Treasure Beach Foundation: "I know I have a scholarship to maintain, and ..."

Exactly what does this mean? What do the scholarship students have to do to maintain their scholarships?

To maintain their scholarships, the students have to do several things:

* Have no discipline problems.

* Mentor another student (one who doesn't live under the same roof) for an average of an hour a week.

* Keep in touch with us on a regular basis (through letters) to let us know of problems, concerns, and progress.

* Maintain excellent grades.

* Send us a copy of their report cards on a timely basis.

I believe that the audience that has received the announcement for the raffle every year, on this web site, and other ways, is to a rather small audience, mostly to those who have been to, and know Treasure Beach as a small, cohesive community in remote Jamaica, that we all love and cherish . I think that the odds of winning are pretty darn good, but I also think that the cause for raising money to enhance the futures of the local children, and give them the opportunity to better their chances of making a better life for themselves, through the possibility of getting a scholarship to further their education, which will give them them the education to find a decent job, far outweighs the chances of winning a free week at, this year, to two beautiful villas in Treasure Beach. To me this is a win/win deal.
How could one refuse to participate in this incredible opportunity to do so much good?

Wise words, Yankee Peddler.

Love Treasure Beach and love the fact that by buying raffle tickets I am making a difference for the children AND the community!

From another scholarship student:

"This scholarship was one of the best things that could have happened to me and my family. It eases the financial burdens that my family is going through to educate me and my other two sisters. My family is very elated and thankful for this wonderful opportunity, as they don't have a steady job at the moment."

To the many people who have donated money, this student says: "I would like to thank them for their generosity and kindness in donating money to make it possible for students like myself and others to get a scholarship to acquire a good education."

If you have not yet bought your raffle ticket, please do it now.

Thank you for caring about the young people of Treasure Beach.

looking at treasure beach foundation website: one raffle ticket buys a student one pair of shoes, five raffle tickets provides a month of lunches and snacks. it's great to know that my donations are going toward the children and not toward the overhead.

In Treasure Beach, one year of public high school for one student costs their families about $2,000 U.S. a year—almost an impossibility for many families. This includes transportation, uniforms, shoes, books, school supplies, lab fees, other fees, lunches, insurance, and more. Not attending school robs these bright and dedicated students of an opportunity for self-sufficiency.

Can you imagine how you would feel if your 12-year-old child, someone who might be university material, couldn’t even attend 7th grade? It’s incomprehensible to most of us, but it’s an everyday occurrence in Treasure Beach.

A small sacrifice from you can make a big difference for someone else.

With so few days left to enter the 2010 villa raffle, we wanted you to know what yet another scholarship student has to say.

This student wants to go on to university, "because the higher level of education you have, the easier the employment."

Will she meet her goals? We don't know. We do know this scholarship gives her a much better opportunity to achieve her dreams, so long as she continues to be motivated and work diligently.

It sounds as if she is doing just that. She goes on to say, "This scholarship has helped financially in such hard times. It has made me much more devoted and committed to school and my school work. It has pushed me to do and be the best I can."

We are asking you to do the best you can for the deserving students of Treasure Beach.

I cannot thank you enough for what you do for the kids in T/B, not only the scholarship kids but the ones who have been helped with the Go-GSAT program and the ones who have gotten the extra books in their classroom. I wish I could afford to help more.

To all those who have bought raffle tickets or made a donation, I thank you on behalf of the children of Treasure Beach.

To all those who have not done so, I ask you to please consider giving up some small thing in your life that will end up making a big difference in the life of a child.

This is not only about scholarships, not that they are any small thing. It is also about books, computers, computer software, and equipment and furnishings for the schools in Treasure Beach.

It is about making a positive impact on someone who is less fortunate than you are.

To buy tickets online or to make a donation, please go to https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=11258

Tuesday is the last day to buy tickets. If you still want tickets, please buy them online. It's too late to mail a check and have it arrive here on time.

TODAY or TOMORROW. Then it's over.

Please buy your tickets online

Go to: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=11258

This is it—the very last day to buy your raffle tickets.

Don’t miss your opportunity to win a fantastic one-week villa vacation.

Even if you don’t win a vacation in one of the two villas, every cent of what we receive from this raffle goes to the children of Treasure Beach. That still makes you a winner.

Please buy your tickets online by midnight Eastern time (New York) by going to: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=11258