Breds - Treasure Beach Foundation
Breds – Treasure Beach Foundation was founded in 1998 by Jason Henzell of Jakes Hotel, Villas and Spa, and Peace Corps volunteer Aaron Laufer, who was assigned to Treasure Beach at the time. The idea to form the nonprofit came by way of a request for a basketball court from a few local youths. This request sparked the desire of the two founders to establish a grassroots organization that would help bridge the funding gap for worthy projects in the area. Many years, projects, partners and donors later, Breds remains committed to improving the lives of the people living in the Greater Treasure Beach community through education and leadership initiatives, sports programming for social change, and promotion of best environmental practices to create a sustainable future for the local fishing industry.
The term ‘Breds,’ short for brethren, is a friendly greeting used in our local community.
Current board members: Jason Henzell (chairman), Norma Moxam (vice chairman), Tamesha Dyght-Jones, Adina Parchment, Dwayne Wiggan, O’Neil James, Dennis Abrahams and James Godfrey.
Breds is funded through individual donations, grants and partnerships, as well as annual fundraising events like the Jakes Off-Road Triathlon and the Treasure Beach Hook n’ Line Fishing Tournament.
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Kingfisher Plaza, Calabash Bay P.A, Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, WI
info@bredsfoundation.org 876.965.0748 bredsfoundation.org
To donate in Jamaica, contact Amario Ebanks (amario.ebanks1217@gmail.com or 876-466-9685)
US tax-deductible donations can be made through the American Friends of Jamaica (501C3).
Contact Caron Chung at cchung@theafj.org
Our
Mission
To be the bridge between the Treasure Beach community, Jamaican government and private sector by connecting local individuals and organizations with donors and partners in order to create and/or sustain transformative programs in the areas of: environmental conservation, skills training, education and sport.
Our
Vision
For Breds Treasure Beach Foundation to help empower its community members to fulfill their potential with the support of public-private and non profit partnerships in the hope of making Treasure Beach a model for community tourism and sustainable development.
Fundraising Events
Jakes Off Road Triathlon
Held annually the last weekend of April this event has become the longest continuously running off road triathlon in the western hemisphere.
The Treasure Beach Hook N Line Fishing Tournament
A weekend long event that aims to celebrate the local fishing culture of this small village, the Hook N’ Line Tournament is held annually during Heroes Weekend (the third weekend in October).
A Little Bit of Treasure Beach in New York Fundraiser
On a cool night in the fall, a local bar in New York is transformed into a little rum bar from St. Elizabeth. Guests old and new, friends and ‘fambily’ all, gather to sip rum punch, listen to reggae and rockers while raising funds for transformative projects that will benefit the lives of people in the Treasure Beach community. There is also a silent and live auction. All proceeds go to supporting Breds’ initiatives.
Dollar-A-Night
As the largest employer in the community, Jakes Hotel, Villas and Spa is committed to supporting Breds whose work not only benefits the lives of its employees but also helps to make Treasure Beach the special place that it is. An ongoing initiative of Jakes is the Dollar-A-Night programme, whereby the hotel gives a dollar to Breds for every night a guest spends at the hotel.
