With one goal in mind, three Hard Rockers, who previously had not met, joined each other on a trip of a lifetime to the Dominican Republic. Jonathan from Hard Rock Hotel Orlando, Kimberly from Hard Rock Cafe Lake Tahoe and Candy from Hard Rock Cafe Lima, travelled to Santo Domingo from their respective cities as an award for their outstanding contribution to Hard Rock philanthropy in their community. These winners had no idea what they were in for…
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Jonathan, Candy and Kim joined Hard Rock Head of Philanthropy, Keely Wade, Director of Operations Latin America, Sal Rivera and President & CEO, Hamish Dodds, as well as two representatives from Hard Rock’s “Imagine There’s No Hunger” philanthropic partner, WhyHunger, to visit local Dominican partner CONAMUCA. Originally formed in the 70’s by four peasant Dominican women who were rejected basic rights to land, the leaders of CONAMUCA have provided assistance to peasant farmers of the Dominican to ensure basic rights of food, water and land, by providing legal assistance, seedlings, training, and equipment needed for communities to provide for themselves.
The main theme of the trip: Helping communities use what they have in their immediate area to provide sustainable healthy food, so they can thrive on their own. The communities CONAMUCA support are proud and strong, creating innovative solutions in their own communities. Because partners such as Hard Rock and WhyHunger help to provide what the communities need most and support them in building their own capacity, rather than relying on handouts and sympathy, the impact is lasting.
During the three-day trip, the team visited rural Santo Domingo communities and learned of CONAMUCA’s aid and how “Imagine There’s No Hunger” funds help the community build a sustainable lifestyle through growing, harvesting and selling local crops.
The team visited a woman’s home where she raises seven children on her own. Just outside her one room home is a conuco; a small family plot of land where she grows food for her family. She welcomed the team into her home to share and learn, while touring her conuco escorted by children pointing out stalks of corn they had planted themselves.
On the final day, the group joined the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana team at a local school where their efforts have literally raised a building, built a library, and fed hundreds of children since 2012. During their visit, staff from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana donated books for the library, computer equipment and “Imagine There’s No Hunger” bags filled with new school supplies. They fed more than 100 children, organized a recycled craft activity, planted new seeds in the school garden and, in true Hard Rock style, a DJ rocked the kids into a dance off. Their efforts and focus on this school are a perfect example of how one of the 187 Hard Rock properties can make a huge impact on the local community.
If this is one example of the impact “Imagine There’s No Hunger” can have on a community, imagine it happening simultaneously in multiple communities worldwide. “Imagine There’s No Hunger” supports communities where they need it most; their right to sustain their own healthy happy lives for generations to come.
Love All. Serve All.
And Imagine There’s No Hunger!
