Long Table Aruba, a one-night-only culinary charity event hosted by Wind Creek Aruba, concluded its 4th annual celebration on Sunday, August 28. Billed as “the only meal worth $40,000 for Aruba,” Long Table Aruba featured a white-hot dinner for guests and announced Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba as the grand prize winner of the $40,000 community impact donation.
This year’s event not only celebrated the reintroduction of Long Table Aruba after a two-year hiatus, but it also marked the fifth year since the Wind Creek Hospitality acquisition of Renaissance Aruba. To recognize this significant milestone, Wind Creek Aruba awarded a record number of community impact donations. To determine the grand prize winner and runner-up recipients, Long Table Aruba hosted a community-driven voting process held from August 10-24.
“At Wind Creek, it is our mission to weave ourselves into the fabric of communities that we live and operate in,” said Paul Gielen, General Manager of Wind Creek Aruba. “This event is a celebration of that principle, and this year’s Long Table Aruba exceeded all expectations. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished tonight and how our community came together to support these local organizations.”
The grand prize winner of $40,000, Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the adoption, neutering and spaying of dogs and cats. With this community impact donation, Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba intends to start a spay and neuter clinic for pets of low-income families. The runner-up, Aruba Animal Shelter, received a $10,000 community impact donation to further its mission of improving the lives of Aruba’s dogs and cats.
Given the overwhelming interest shown throughout the voting process, Wind Creek also selected four additional organizations to receive $10,000 each, including:
- Stichting BOB Aruba
- Pasadia Bibito Pin
- Fundacion Arubano di esnan Visualmente Incapacita
- Cas di Cultura
Since Wind Creek Aruba’s arrival in 2017, community impact and disaster relief have long been tenets of Wind Creek Aruba property operations. As the marquee giving event for Wind Creek operations in Aruba, Long Table Aruba spent the first three years raising more than $75,000 total for Aruba-based charities. Now with the success of this year’s event, that number has surpassed the prior years combined, bringing the total amount of community impact donations to $165,000 toward the Aruban community.
Gielen added, “I think what makes Long Table Aruba one of our hallmark events is not only the way in which we’ve been able to support our local Aruban community but also how it brings our entire Wind Creek Aruba team together. We’ve been so fortunate to see the positive impact that Long Table Aruba has had on everyone involved, from employees to guests to charitable recipients, and we look forward to continued success in the years to come.”
Renaissance Aruba received cooperation from the authorities to close L.G. Smith Boulevard and set up the elegant white table just in front of Marina Hotel. Around 11 pm the boulevard was opened again to traffic. The music was provided by Duro Entertainment and DJ Sergio Barros. Aisette Rivera, radio host of Magic 96.5FM, was once again the MC for the night. An event such as ‘Long Table’ Aruba, would not have been possible without a few sponsors that gave their help and support to this beautiful project. Wind Creek Hospitality together with Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort would like to thank its team members, Caribbean Overseas, Tropical Bottling Company, Divino Aruba, Elite Productions, Arion Wine Company, Express Events & Party Rentals, Bix Brandimports NV & Andmar Manpower como tambe ARTN Photography, Al Jazar, Antilla, All for you, Bright Bakery, Bersah, Bite! Communications, Compra, CBS, Carex, Caribbean Bakery, Duro Entertainment, Deli Caribbean, Discount Food Supplies, Delmar Trading, EcoTech, Flora Market, Frasa, Green Fish, High Performance, Hilton Aruba Caribbean, Huan Zhan, Ital Aruba, Interpan, Ling & Sons, Mercal, New York Laundry, Paleis Hindu, Pedel, Sunny Ray, Thunder N Lightning, TEC, & Zen Designs. For pictures of this successful culinary event please visit www.facebook.com/LongTableAruba.
For more information about Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort and Long Table Aruba, please visit www.windcreek.com/aruba.
Article written by Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort
