The Lion Rude Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair is now in its 5th year.  This yearly event is a gathering of Health Professionals, Foundations and Associations to provide the community of St. Maarten with vital information for Health Living.  At this event visitors can receive FREE HIV testing, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, and Blood Pressure Testing.  Health Foundations and Associations are also out in plenty to provide families with important information on Diabetes, Alzheimer, DSSC (Down Syndrome), Sickle Cell, SMHSF (Heart & Stroke), Mental Health just to name a few.  The Public Health Department will also be at hand to provide information on St. Maarten’s Health Services

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This is the only event on St. Maarten that bring together so many persons/companies from such an array of health institutions on our island.

We would like to thank the St. Maarten Telephone Company for contributing to an event of so much importance/relevance for the people of St. Maarten.

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2014- 2015 Signature Project

Youth Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Awareness Campaign

Goal of the project

The goal of the Youth Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Awareness Campaign, which focuses on our youth and their health, is 3-fold.

1.  To create awareness amongst the youth on the risks and dangers of alcohol use at an early age and substance abuse in general and creating awareness amongst parents on the moral responsibility that they have when it comes to their children using alcohol and other substances

2. To create awareness amongst the general public, and parents specifically, of the fact that many youngsters on our St. Maarten drink and/or smoke at a very early age, and/or use or experiment with drugs.

3. Our campaign aims at enforcing current law and amending it by raising the legal drinking age from 16 to 21.

TAKEHOLDERS

The entire community of St. Maarten, the youth, the adults, the schools, the SMMC (where the youth come in regularly due to alcohol poisoning), the KPSM (local police force), government’s Collective prevention service/youth health care, social services and the court of guardianship.

EVENTS

• Presentations:  We had an expert speaker on Youth Drug and Alcohol use, Fellow Lion Rayle Roberts, president of the Grand Cayman Lions Club, visit our island in  December and went to all the high-schools to inform the youth s that they could now make a conscious decision to postpone alcohol use. Additional presentations further down in the year will be done by our local experts from the health, law enforcement, and education fields. Publis presentation was also held, as was a t.v. interview which was aired in February 2015.

• Media campaign:  LED board ads were placed on various locations on the island. Three (3) banners were printed and are used at every Lions and Leo club activity event.  Radio spots were made and are aired daily the entire year (see attachments 7 - 10). Permanent billboards with anti-substance use slogans will be placed printed and hung close to schools and sports areas.  Newspaper articles to create awareness in the local teen times pages of the daily paper

• Activities to bring awareness to the Youths: Soccer tournament for high-schools was held in collaboration with a local soccer association and emphasis was given to the importance of exercise and healthy living.  Incorporation of Lions Quest in this project through donation of workbooks to all grade school classes.  High-school students and pupils of the last two grades of primary school will get the opportunity to take part in an essay contest (Jan- Feb). Four children, 2 of each category, will win a prize. Organize a day at the movies for 2 groups of children: 6 – 12 and 12 – 18 each with a different movie, but both movies with a clear message. All kids receive a goodies bag before leaving. Goodies bag consists of informative and fun stuff.

• Activities in support of getting the law amended:  Letters were written to the responsible Ministers. Meeting is scheduled with Parliament in the 1^st week of April.  Petition to get 3000+ signatures is currently taking place. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-alcohol-for-our-kids.html