After three years of growth and pandemic recovery, the San Pedro Christmas Collection changed its focus in 2023. It raised funds to provide sustainable resources to local children to enhance their education and livelihood. We aimed to raise $40,000 BZD by holding eight fundraisers at local venues from August to December. Funds were raised at these events through prize raffles, auctions, and participant entry fees. We surpassed our goal and raised over $50,000 BZD due to the outstanding community participation at our events, the incredibly generous donations from the San Pedro business community who provided thousands of dollars’ worth of gift certificates for food, drink, and a variety of services (hotel stays, snorkel/scuba trips, tour excursions, etc.) to raffle and auction off at our events, and the cooperation of the Mayor, San Pedro Town Council, and local media in supporting and promoting our fundraising efforts.
We met with each of the San Pedro primary schools. We presented them with donation options of computers, music equipment, or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) kits, and each school told us what they wanted and needed the most, as follows:
• Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) – (113 students, eight classrooms): 10 STEAM kits, plus extra refill supplies, to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Delivered February 27!
• Island Academy (90 students, nine classrooms): 10 STEAM kits, plus extra refill supplies, to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Delivered February 27!
• Holy Cross (410 students): 14 drums/cymbals specifically selected to start a new music program. Delivered February 27!
• Isla Bonita (131 students): 10 drums/cymbals specifically selected to supplement the needs of their existing music program. Delivered February 29!
• San Pedro Roman Catholic School (825 students, 30 classrooms): 34 custom laptops will introduce internet technology into the classroom. They will arrive soon!
• New Horizon School (505 students, 16 classrooms): Twenty custom laptops will introduce internet technology into the classroom. They are arriving soon!
• We are also purchasing 30 playground balls (six for each of the five San Pedro preschools) and are donating $3,000 BZD to the San Pedro Town Council’s new Special Needs Physical Therapy Program.
Finally, Wisdom Playgrounds, the #1 playground manufacturer in the United States, is donating an amazing commercial playground to the San Pedro community. For 29 years, Wisdom Playgrounds has been providing superior quality, unique designs, and safe and durable products for all ages and children of all abilities. They possess over 700 national patent certificates, ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications, and many other international certifications. Professional installation of the playground here in San Pedro is included in their donation.
We expect the laptops, playground balls, and playgrounds to arrive in San Pedro soon, and the San Pedro Town Council has generously agreed to provide the necessary site preparation for the playground at Boca del Rio Park.
We thank our 56 volunteers, 19 fundraising event venues, and 105 donors for raffle prizes, silent auction items, art, wine/alcohol, boats, and more! Together, we have done something extraordinary for our beloved community. 
History of the San Pedro Christmas Collection (2020 to 2022)
The San Pedro Christmas Collection began during the 2020 pandemic when many people struggled financially. The goal was to host fundraising events at local businesses to provide local families with food, household supplies, and toys for Christmas. At the same time, these fundraising events encouraged the support of local businesses that were also struggling. The Collection continued in 2021 and raised $38,000 BZD. As San Pedro slowly recovered from the pandemic, workers and families returned to the island, and the number of children on the island doubled. The 2022 Collection efforts raised $41,000 BZD and provided meals and toys for 2,245 local children.
submitted by the San Pedro Christmas Collection organizers
