Tag: Richard Sands

Sands Foundation gifts $500,000 toward Bahamas cleanup

The Sands Family Foundation has set a high bar this Giving Tuesday. The foundation has gifted $500,000 to Hope Town United, a Rochester nonprofit whose mission is to help rebuild the Bahamian island of Elbow Cay following the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian this summer.

“To kick off this Giving Tuesday, the Sands Family Foundation is challenging everyone to join us in helping to restore the Hope Town community that was devastated by Hurricane Dorian,” said Matt Winslow, Hope Town United chairman. “Climate change means superstorms like Dorian will be more frequent and powerful, which is why we’re building a global model for disaster recovery and restoration with a focus on autonomy, resiliency and environmental sustainability.”

The Sands Family Foundation also is offering a matching gift of up to $100,000 for all donations made during the holiday season to immediately help with debris removal and cleanup.

Hurricane Dorian devastated the island with 200 mph winds; some 70 percent of the island community’s homes and businesses were damaged. Following the storm, Winslow organized the evacuation of 250 residents from the island.

The community-led Hope Town United was started by Winslow and his wife, Courtney Sands Winslow. Her father, Richard Sands, serves as executive vice chairman of Constellation Brands and as a member of the strategic advisory committee of HTU.

HTU has become the economic engine leading the restoration of Elbow Cay. HTU’s focus is raising money to restore historic public buildings, small businesses and homes, while also engaging global engineering experts to design innovative solutions for island utilities. The organization’s strategic plan starts with rebuilding the primary school, restoring the island’s badly damaged medical clinic and leading the development of a modern, environmentally sustainable utility infrastructure with a focus on renewable energy generation.

HTU last month secured $500,000 to fund the primary school and medical clinic. The nonprofit is working with global financial experts to develop innovative, blended finance structures and impact investment vehicles for the construction of the utility infrastructure and the reconstruction of locally owned businesses and residential homes.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Sands family to lead rebuilding in hurricane-destroyed Bahamas

A new, Rochester-based nonprofit has been founded to help the Bahamian island of Elbow Cay rebuild following the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian this summer.

The new nonprofit will gift $500,000 toward the rebuilding of the Hope Town Primary School and Hope Town’s Medical Clinic on Elbow Cay, officials said this week. Hurricane Dorian devastated the island with 200 mph winds. (Photo provided)
The new nonprofit will gift $500,000 toward the rebuilding of the Hope Town Primary School and Hope Town’s Medical Clinic on Elbow Cay, officials said this week. Hurricane Dorian devastated the island with 200 mph winds. (Photo provided)

Hope Town United is a community-led organization founded by Matt Winslow and his wife, Courtney Sands Winslow. Constellation Brands Executive Vice Chairman Richard Sands, and Courtney Winslow’s father, is a member of the strategic advisory committee of HTU.

The new nonprofit will gift $500,000 toward the rebuilding of the Hope Town Primary School and Hope Town’s Medical Clinic on Elbow Cay, officials said this week. Hurricane Dorian devastated the island with 200 mph winds. Following the storm, Matt Winslow organized the evacuation of some 250 residents from the island.

“Recovery after Hurricane Dorian will not be easy, but we are energized and ready to lead the effort to rebuild a more environmentally sustainable and resilient Hope Town,” he said in a statement. “Working with community leaders and partner organizations, we are bringing infrastructure and innovation to the island. We have an opportunity and an obligation to make Elbow Cay a global model for how to rebuild with an eye toward resiliency and environmentally sustainable design.”

The school will receive $500,000 and all of the steel necessary to rebuild, thanks to the Jones family, owners of Nova Steel Inc. Prior to the hurricane, the Hope Town Primary School provided schooling for 70 preschool to fifth-grade students on Elbow Cay. HTU has received approval from the Minister of Education to lead the rebuilding project.

“Schools are the heart of every community, a place where ideas and opportunity take flight,” Scott Jones said. “That’s why we’re so pleased to do our part to help bring the Hope Town community back to life. We’ve made it a family priority, and Nova Steel is making it a company priority, to make sure we rebuild Hope Town stronger and better than ever.”

The clinic will be rebuilt and fully funded by Hope Town Rising’s Mark Bailey Sr. and Flagler Health+. As a sister hospital, Flagler Health+ will provide ongoing support for the clinic, said Jason Barrett, CEO of Flagler Health+

“Recovery after Hurricane Dorian will not be easy, but we are energized and ready to lead the effort to rebuild a more environmentally-sustainable and resilient Hope Town,” HTU Chairman Matt Winslow said in a statement. “Working with community leaders and partner organizations, we are bringing infrastructure and innovation to the island. We have an opportunity and an obligation to make Elbow Cay a global model for how to rebuild with an eye toward resiliency and environmentally sustainable design.” (Photo provided)
“Recovery after Hurricane Dorian will not be easy, but we are energized and ready to lead the effort to rebuild a more environmentally-sustainable and resilient Hope Town,” HTU Chairman Matt Winslow said in a statement. “Working with community leaders and partner organizations, we are bringing infrastructure and innovation to the island. We have an opportunity and an obligation to make Elbow Cay a global model for how to rebuild with an eye toward resiliency and environmentally sustainable design.” (Photo provided)

“This joint venture is a commitment to the Abaco Islands and to the people that we have come to love,” Bailey said. “The euphoria of potential recovery can be fragile, and we believe that Hope Town and the surrounding cays will recover at a more rapid pace, and with positivity, assuming quality medical care can be delivered. With the clinic up and running, we look forward to a strong and vibrant community returning.”

HTU will serve as the economic engine leading the restoration efforts. HTU’s focus is to restore the historic public structures, small businesses and residential homes while also engaging global engineering experts to design and construct resilient and environmentally sustainable island infrastructure.

HTU plans to launch a strategic plan that focuses on an international fundraising campaign to support near-term recovery needs, as well as the creation of innovative, blended finance structures and impact investment vehicles for the construction of modernized infrastructure.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Sands family offers $1 million challenge to complete Harley fundraising campaign

The Sands Family Foundation has issued a $1 million challenge to close the Harley School’s $12 million “Lives of Great Purpose” fundraising campaign.

The school and members of the Sands family – two cousins representing the second generation to attend the school, and parents of current students – announced the challenge grant Monday. The foundation last year promised $3 million to the campaign that was kicked off in 2017, the school’s centenary year.

So far the school has raised more than $10 million.

The Sands donations and the $1 million the school expects to raise through the challenge grant will be dedicated to an endowment to support faculty.

With a $1 million challenge grant from the Sands Family Foundation, Harley expects to close its $12 million fundraising campaign by June. RBJ Photo by Diana Louise Carter
With a $1 million challenge grant from the Sands Family Foundation, Harley expects to close its $12 million fundraising campaign by June. (RBJ Photo by Diana Louise Carter)

“Everything you see on this campus is a result of philanthropy,” said Head of School Larry Frye, noting that independent schools do not receive government or church funding.

Other monies have helped in construction of three new facilities at the school – The Peckham Wellness Center, the Moore/Brown Center for Creative Media, and the Winslow Natural Playground & Outdoor Learning Center, all of which opened during the last school year.

Courtney Winslow, daughter of Constellation Brands Executive Vice Chairman Richard Sands, said the school has reached 84 percent of its fundraising goal, and once another $1 million is raised, the Sand Foundation will match that to complete the campaign by the school year’s end.

Her cousin, Abby Stern Bennett, daughter of the late Laurie Sands (Richard Sands’ and Robert Sands’ sister,) said it was fitting that the family’s gifts will support faculty at the school, where she found a second family as a student. “My teachers nurtured me, they challenge me, they celebrated me,” she said.

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