Smoothies for Dara; a fund raising effort to assist feeding program

Ras Dara’s feeding program has gotten assistance from a number of corporate sponsors since opening his kitchen to needy children across Belize City over the years.  On Sunday, the well-known philanthropist held a fundraising activity to collect money and other donations in the form of nonperishable goods to provide for the students.  Today, however, another company, a far cry from the bankrolls of the big businesses, has offered to contribute to the initiative.  Mr. Ham’s, a small juice bar located at the newly renovated B.T.L. Park, is hosting a daylong promotion in an effort to raise money towards Dara’s cause.  With every purchase of a smoothie, a dollar from the proceeds of each sale will be donated to the program.  The target is to sell a thousand smoothies before the end of the night and its proprietors are depending on you to support the campaign during the grand re-opening of the park tonight.

Carlos Izaguirre, Vendor, Mr. Ham’s

Carlos Izaguirre

“The basic point of selling a thousand smoothies is to help Dara’s feeding program.  We’re going to donate a dollar per smoothie.  So it’s anything over a thousand or a thousand we’ll donate a thousand dollars.  If we sell a thousand, five hundred smoothies, a thousand, five hundred dollars will be donated to Dara’s feeding program.  That is not the only promotion but we also will be marking cups.  So, let’s say a customer comes in, picks up a cup and the cup is marked you’ll win yourself fifty dollars.”

Isani Cayetano

“Where did the idea come from to assist Dara’s feeding program which assists needy kids across Belize City?”

Carlos Izaguirre

“Well, the idea came from my boss, she thought about giving back to the community, right.  So she thought, “let us give cash to the unfortunate kids through a feeding program.  But that will not be the only feeding program that she will be donating money to, another event will come up and we’ll donate another, we’ll do the same promotion again for a different feeding program or a different charity.”

Isani Cayetano

“How are sales going so far?”

Carlos Izaguirre

“So far we’ve gotten a lot of activity compared to other days.  We’ve seen basically a lot, you know and we’re hoping to sell even more.”

Isani Cayetano

“Does it seem realistic that you’re going to be meeting your target before midnight?”

Carlos Izaguirre

“Yeah, it realistic.  It is expected to have over five thousand people in the park, but in reality a thousand or more right.”