USVIHTA held its Annual Holiday Party on Dec. 15 at taste at Paradise Point. The association and members raised $1600 to purchase gifts for 80 children attending the Boys & Girls Club Holiday Party on Dec. 19. The USVIHTA party was sponsored by North South Net, Inc., publishers of our in-room book VISIT, which was unveiled at the event. Click here to view photos from the USVIHTA Holiday Party . Click here to view photos from the Boys & Girls Club Holiday Party .

On Dec. 6, divers found a juvenile green sea turtle struggling with fishing line wrapped around her shell and flippers in the waters by Christiansted. V.I. and U.S. Fish & Wildlife representatives responded to the call. They brought the turtle, nicknamed Josephine, to Dr. Michelle Mehalick at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center for medical assistance. Read more. See photos.

Are you ready to be a part of a one of a kind charity Texa s Hold Em Poker Tournament? Click here to learn about sponsorship opportunities for the "All-IN" Against Cancer Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament on Feb. 22, 2020 at beautiful Old Stone Farmhouse. Click here to download the sponsorship form . View the official tournament rules and fundraising event guidelines here . Proceeds will benefit Cancer Support Virgin Islands to help fight the disease that impacts us all. This elegant tournament and experience is presented by The Executive Game, a non-profit operated on St. Thomas. The Executive Game started in 2014 and is now a registered 501c3. The Mission of the Executive Game is to promote the interests of worthy charities whose work makes our world a better place. Our world class Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament is both an unforgettable experience and an opportunity to change lives. Read more. Click here to read an attachment with detailed information regarding the even t.

The CHTA Education Foundation had a fantastic year and we want to thank you for your support, without which much of what we have accomplished would not have been possible. We not only funded 20 scholarships for students from 10 member countries, but also delivered on-island training courses to six destinations reaching over 550 hospitality professionals in the process. Like every year, we are preparing for our auction at the New York Times Travel Show which will take place Jan. 24-26, 2020. This auction is the cornerstone for our funding for the entire year. We are requesting your support for a 3 to 7-nights' stay which we will auction during the show to raise funds for these scholarships and programs. Read more .

Caribbean Travel Marketplace is the Caribbean’s largest and most important marketing event! Marketplace affords tourism suppliers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with wholesalers from around the world selling Caribbean vacation travel over the course of two days of business meetings. The region's largest and longest-standing tourism marketing event will take place in Baha Mar, Bahamas Jan. 21 to 23, 2020. Click here for more information about Caribbean Travel Marketplace including sponsorship opportunities. View the event flyer here . Click here to view new buyers attended the event.

The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum is glad to be celebrating our one year anniversary in our permanent location. Despite making three moves in three years, we have been able to remain active and growing thanks to the strength of support from our community. This year we opened new exhibits and continued to provide access to low-income families. Our Free Field Trip Program has been renewed for 2020 and we are excited to announce our new STEM Saturdays program beginning this month. By offering hands-on educational experiences, we provide an irreplaceable impact for Virgin Islands children. The VI Children's Museum is considered a public school program through EDC for our Free Field Trip Program with the public schools. Contributions to the museum qualify for the mandated public education allocation. The biggest obstacle to our continued existence is covering our operating expenses. As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we need monetary donations to cover costs and positive promotion both within the community and also with our visitors. Visit www.vichildrensmuseum.org for more information and click the "donate" button on the homepage to contribute.

This week, FEMA released the Ready Campaign's 2020 Preparedness Calendar, which is a critical component of FEMA’s commitment to building a culture of preparedness since informed, alert communities enhance national safety and resilience. The Ready Preparedness Calendar identifies preparedness activities and associated educational materials and toolkits; promotes the resources necessary for stakeholders to customize emergency preparedness campaigns and messaging to raise awareness; and provides tips for emergency preparedness. Read more .