Treasure Beach Foundation’s 6th annual villa raffle starts today.

When we said you’d be delighted, we meant it. This is a double villa raffle. Buy one ticket and have two chances to win! Win a week either at Rainbow Tree or Blue Marlin.

Yes, one ticket gives you the opportunity to win one of two wonderful villa vacations.

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 November 3, so you need to move quickly.



The holder of the first ticket drawn will receive one week for up to 10 people in 5 bedrooms at Rainbow Tree Villa.

The holder of the second ticket drawn will receive one week for up to 8 people in 4 bedrooms at Blue Marlin Villa.

That’s not all. In addition to a week’s stay in a wonderful beachfront villa, both winners will receive:
Transfers to and from the airport in MoBay (one group by Treasure Tours and one group by Denville James).
A sunset cruise for your group on Dennis Abrahams’ Shallow Bar.
A boat tour up the Black River with a stop at Floyd’s Pelican Bar (one group by Aman Parchment and one group by Bebe Sutherland).
A one-hour massage at your villa by Joshua Stein.

To learn more about Rainbow Tree Villa, please go to www.RainbowTreeVillas.com and click on Rainbow Tree.

To learn more about Blue Marlin, please go to www.jamaicaescapes.com/Villas/BlueMarlin/BlueMarlin.html

To learn more about Treasure Beach Foundation, our scholarship programs, and the other ways we assist in Treasure Beach, please go to www.treasurebeachfoundation.org.

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

To buy tickets with a check (U.S. only; no money orders or travelers checks), please make it payable to Treasure Beach Foundation and mail it to Karen Kennedy; 11124 Rich Meadow Drive; Great Falls, Virginia 22066, USA. Please be sure to include both your e-mail address and telephone number so we can contact you if you win.

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

THIS was worth waiting for. I would be ecstatic to stay in either villa.

Arriving in TB Nov.2nd. Is it possible to by a ticket with cash anywhere in Treasure Beach?

Jean, I am sorry to say it's not possible. Please go online and purchase your ticket(s) that way. You can use any major credit card; we never see that information and only get notification you've bought tickets or made a donation. (www.treasurebeachfoundation.org.) Be sure to send us an e-mail telling us where you're staying so we can notify you if you're one of the lucky winners.

Bought my tickets yesterday ..can't wait . Good Luck to me ! Happy to support such a worthwhile organization.

Got my tickets today!! YIPPIE

Have never seen Blue Marlin. Could someone who has stayed there please tell me about your experience. Want to know whatever you are willing to share. Thank you.

Have never been inside. It's on a gorgeous stretch of beach. Friends have enjoyed their stay there quite a bit.

Here is a link to some of Blue Marlin's reviews from past guests Villa Reviews.

I realize I represent this property, so I am a little bias, but when coming to island and visiting TB, Blue Marlin is my last stop and my place to truly decompress for a few days (if not more) -- the grounds are beautiful, villa clean and comfortable. View of the sea and Pedros Bluff from the verandah is perfect. Great Bay Beach is absolutely lovely and Sally is simply the best, she will take care of your every need and feed you well!

I really enjoy my time here and so have all of our guests.

Anyone who wins the raffle for Blue Marlin OR Rainbow Tree Villa will have one of their best vacations in Treasure Beach.

There should be no hesitation to enter this Amazing Community Supporting Event!

Good Luck!

Nicole
Tiverton House, LLC

In 2007 I hosted a holistic retreat on the grounds of Blue Marlin and Coquina. The property is magical and one of my favorite places to stay when in Jamaica.

The direct access to Great Bay Beach is wonderful as well as the view of The Bluff from the lanai.

Every one of our retreat guests had the best stay of their lives while at this property, and I personally always look forward to my return visits.

Regards,

Joseph

I read the reviews and it is clear they are genuine. Blue Marlin sounds like a wonderful place to stay.

I want to say this villa raffle is as close to a win/win situation as I have seen concerning Treasure Beach. There will be two people winning a wonderful villa vacation week and this is a sure winner for ALL the children. There are no losers here.

is the draw on November 3 ? I did see the ticket payment was due by that date but couldn't find the actual draw date on the information .

I have made many trips to Treasure Beach over the years as my preferred choice for the perfect escape from the hectic life where I live. I feel immediately at home when I get there, with people that accept me as one of theirs and are a joy to interact with.
I think that the Treasure Beach Foundation, which has been giving deserving students scholarships to better their lives for the past six years, is making an impact, not only for the winners of these scholarships,but it also has encouraged other students to realize the relevance of a good education.
I applaud this Foundation,and have contributed to this cause for the past six years and urge you to do the same.
Contribute to this worthy cause and you may be the winner of a wonderful vacation in a beautiful villa, and have the same opportunity that I had years ago to experience the magic of this community.

All funds must be received by midnight, US East Coast time, Thursday, November 3.

The winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, November 5. We will make every effort to find and notify the winners right after we draw the tickets. We will post the names of the winners only after they have been notified and agree to allow us to post their names.

If you have not received your ticket(s) by the date they are drawn, do not worry. We have a very carefully double-checked list, so no entries can possibly be confused.

Just got my tickets! Hope I win! Good luck to everyone!

How much does it cost for one scholarship? How many years does it last?

The cost of a one-year scholarship varies from high school to high school. This year we have scholarship students attending six different high schools, and the costs range from a low of $2,085 (US) to a high of $2,660 (US). The differences are due more to transportation costs than anything else, though when a student is in Sixth Form (as some of our scholarship students are), extra fees are charged.

Our scholarships cover as many as 20 different expenses per student per school. These include lab fees; an allowance for books, school supplies, uniforms, and lunches; and a transportation allowance.

Scholarships are awarded for a one-year period. To keep the scholarship for the following year, the student must fulfill a number of obligations including getting a good grade point average.

A student can attend a Jamaican high school for seven years. Being able to attend for the final two years requires special permission from the school because it is for a more advanced program.

Karen...How much choice of stays (weeks) would there be on the availability calenders of both Blue Marlin & Rainbow Tree prior to the close-out date of November 4, 2012?

Does "space available basis" mean that either or both villas might restrict the winners wishing to occupy in high season or during the best prospects for great TB weather?...you know how hard it can be sometimes to summon far flung family and friends even for an almost free lounge at the beach.
I would imagine that both villas would reveal your booked dates to allow early choice, but what would happen if after the winners select a date, a faithful returning, and late "reserving guest" might conflict with the winners' primary choices for a stay?

If you win, you get in touch with the person in charge of rentals for the particular villa.

"Space-available basis" means exactly that: If the space is available, and that's the week you want, that's the week you reserve, and that is the week you get. The villa owners will not tell you a week is unavailable if it is actually available. A villa owner will not cancel on you after your reservation is secured. We would consider that unethical.

I would guess that 90% of prior winners have used their weeks during high season. A few winners have asked if the one-year period could be extended a bit, and that has been done; however, it is at the sole discretion of the villa owner.

The villa owners that are kind enough to offer a week's stay to support their community are usually willing to work with you. At the same time, you need to be respectful of the villa owner and not expect a time period (e.g., a Wednesday to Wednesday in high season) that will interrupt their normal flow of paying guests--and conform to other requests such as getting your food and beverage allowance sent in time.

Does it cost this much to go to school throughout Jamaica?

Can someone please tell me if they've stayed at either Rainbow Tree or Blue Marlin with children and what the experience was like? If we win I'm not sure if it would be for a family vacation or one with couples only. Note: The boys are 5 and 7.

The difference between how completely Treasure Beach Foundation and BREDS answers questions and how quickly they do is quite revealing. Form your own opinion. I did.

Our students have transportation allowances that range up to almost $800 for a school year. If they lived near a high school or there were a public transportation system (other than route taxis) that came through Treasure Beach, it would clearly cost less. It would also cost less if their parent had an automobile and was able to provide the transportation.

We are guessing the other costs are fairly similar, even though they vary from school to school. We invite anyone knowledgeable about the Jamaican public school system to comment or elaborate.

Me asking again.

Can someone please tell me if they've stayed at either Rainbow Tree or Blue Marlin with children and what the experience was like? If we win I'm not sure if it would be for a family vacation or one with couples only. Note: The boys are 5 and 7.

Would like reference, not all people check this site every day. Try to be patient!!! Geez, it has been only 20 hours since you asked!

To Would Like Reference -- Treasure Beach is a family destination. I can't think of anyplace in TB that would be for couples only. Families stay at all the villas.

Thank you.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

All money for villa raffle ticket purchases must be in our hands by midnight, Thursday, November 3.

We suggest you buy your tickets online if you have not already done so. We don't want you to be disappointed by trusting that your check will be delivered on time if you mail it.

For details: www.treasurebeachfoundation.org

Thank you very much for supporting the children of Treasure Beach.

At Rainbow Tree Villas we have had many families with children come back time and time again. Their children often make friends with the local children while there, and look forward to seeing their friends again, and joining with them on pick-up games of soccer and similar ball games on the beach in the afternoons. We think that it is a rich experience for children to interact with children of their age from a different culture. Even families with wee ones have come and have enjoyed the access to childcare provided by our staffs, if the parents wish to go out for an occasional evening to enjoy a dinner at some of the many interesting restaurants in the area.

The first batch of tickets has just been brought to the post office. More will go out each day.

Please know we have the stub from each ticket here as well as two different cross-checked master lists. Even if you do not have your ticket in hand when we draw the winners on Saturday, you are just as likely to win as someone who has received their ticket(s).

Thanks for understanding.

if i don't win i am reserving. snow in october. trees down. my parents are still without power. this is going to be one ugly ugly cold winter.

I just bought my tickets; Will travel back to Tb all the way from Australia; Got to come back!

To Would Like Reference: just like Rainbow Tree Villa, Blue Marlin is very family friendly and has families (with young children) that return often (sometimes yearly).

Blue Marlin has wonderfully manicured grounds for children to run and play on as well as direct access to Great Bay Beach, a large, sandy beach with no marl or under tow. The villa also supplies many board and beach games, and Sally is happy to watch children if the parents choose to go out for a meal in Treasure Beach (there are several to choose from).

Blue Marlin, just like Rainbow Tree is a perfect place for families or groups of friends/family.

Australia is halfway around the world. How great to visit little TB all the way from there. Hope you would stay longer than a week.

Both are places I'd take family with young

Each has their own charms

Each would make a wonderful holiday base and these are WONDERFUL prizes

TWO DAYS LEFT FOR THE VILLA RAFFLE

Simple concept: If you don't enter, you can't win.

For details or to buy tickets: www.treasurebeachfoundation.org

Oh Yes, I would be staying a few weeks with that long trip from Down-Under; Hope to find a few locals who might remember me--stayed three months a few years ago and will never forget...

Can you say if the same villas will be raffled off next time around?

Three months. Fantastic. If only I could ever do that.

My tickets arrived yesterday. Adore the photo of the winners that came with them. My fingers will be crossed until the drawing.

To Wondering:

You asked if the same villas will be raffled off next time around.

We can’t make any promises about the offerings for the villa raffle in 2012. We haven’t even decided the price of the tickets.

To give you a hint, we’ve never offered the same villas two years in a row.

What is included in our raffles depends upon the kindness and generosity of people in the community—plus what we determine would be most attractive to someone who wins.

Our best advice is: If you want an opportunity to win a week at either Rainbow Tree or Blue Marlin—and all the extras that come with each villa, buy your raffle ticket today. www.TreasureBeachFoundation.org.

The last batch of raffle tickets went to the post office this afternoon, bringing us totally up-to-date. There have been more ticket sales since then; based upon our prior experience, we'll get ticket notifications until midnight. All remaining tickets will be mailed on Friday, November 4.

Please know you do not have to have your tickets before the drawing on Saturday. We have stubs for all the tickets plus two cross-checked lists, so there can be no mistakes. If your ticket is drawn, you win.

We will do our best to locate the winners after the drawing. As soon as we do (and have their permission), we will post the names of the winners here.

(Written at 7 p.m., Raffle Time, on November 3.)

The raffle is over and I didn't win. I still must express my thanks to Treasure Beach Foundation for running such a professional endeavor. I had a question and it was answered promptly and completely and in a friendly manner. I am thrilled with the package I got with my ticket. This is a first class operation and I understand why they are admired for how they operate and what they do for the students.

Thanks for the compliment. It's most appreciated.

And adding to what Minnesota Slim wrote: As delighted as we are at winning, I can assure you that we wouldn't have bought raffle tickets but for our confidence in the Foundation that all the money goes to scholarships and because we believe that education is the most important ticket to a family's future. Applause to all the kids in Treasure Beach, to Miss Abbie, Ms. K and the Foundation board.

Had almost the same experience as Minnesota Slim. Definitely entering again next year.

Oops: and to the owners and staff of the wonderful villas and services offered as prizes. I wonder what my friends will think of Floyd's, Shallow Bar, and the ride across the mountains. They won't get to experience the free massage, since that's for Karin and me to fight over.

Don't fight over Joshua. Take the free massage for yourself, buy one for Karin and let your friends schedule and pay for his services if they want. We've been getting massages from Joshua for years and adore being pampered with the sound of the sea in the background. I can almost picture it now.

Joshua is my FAVORITE.