The Sandals Foundation is Making Spirits Bright

This holiday season, the simple joy of opening a new toy is reaching tens of thousands of children across the Caribbean through an annual toy drive led by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. With the support of toy industry leaders Spin Master, Jazwares, and The Toy Foundation, 45,000 toys will be delivered, marking the Foundation’s largest toy drive to date.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, said: “The holidays are about hope, the kind that reassures every child that they are seen, valued, and deeply loved, and we’re incredibly grateful to all the partners and volunteers who have been part of this legacy of giving over the years.”

For more than a decade, the Sandals Foundation’s annual toy drive has brought holiday cheer to children across the region, delivering more than 170,000 toys to date.

The initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to uplifting Caribbean communities through education, youth development, environmental programs, and cultural preservation. It remains one of the Foundation’s most cherished traditions — one that strengthens families, brings communities together, and reminds children that their dreams matter.

Guided by the belief that every child deserves moments of wonder and imagination, toys are being delivered across all nine islands where Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts operate: Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

A wide assortment of toys, from Rubik’s Cubes and Kinetic Sand kits to puzzles, games, and plushies designed to spark creativity and emotional connection, were donated by Spin Master’s Toy Movement, an initiative committed to bringing inspiration, imagination, and joy to children everywhere, no matter their circumstances.

The Toy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association,  which represents more than 900 toy companies, contributed plushies, building blocks, LEGOs, dinosaur figurines, and more.

Jazwares Cares, the philanthropic arm of global toy company Jazwares – whose mission is to support children’s health, well-being, and educational development through play – donated 10,000 huggable, loveable Squishmallows plush toys, offering comfort and cheer to children of all ages this holiday season.

This year’s initiative brings 18,000 toys to Jamaica alone. Capping off a week of giving, yesterday the Sandals Foundation and team members from Sandals South Coast brought together more than 400 children in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, a community still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, for a festive day of music, crafts, storytelling, and treats, complete with appearances by Santa, and a lively crew of Sandals “elves.”

In partnership with Sesame Workshop, the celebration also incorporated playful psychosocial activities featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, helping children explore emotions and build coping skills following the storm. The event concluded with the distribution of toys, ensuring the magic of the season reaches families when it is needed most.

Go to www.sandalsfoundation.org for more.

In the photos 

O’Brian Heron, General Manager of Sandals South Coast, connects with a young toy drive recipient during a special day focused on giving back to the Westmoreland community.

1 – Rows of donated toys fill tables at Sandals South Coast in Jamaica, ready to bring joy to more than 400 children from Whitehouse, Westmoreland.

3 – Holiday cheer in action at Sandals South Coast as the Sandals Foundation delivers toys from industry partners Spin Master, Jazwares, and The Toy Foundation™, as part of the Foundation’s broader initiative to distribute 45,000 toys to children across the Caribbean.