By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Sandals Foundation has donated an eight-person rowing fleet to the Nassau Rowing Club, naming it “Forever Jilly” in honour of Jill Stewart, the late wife of Sandals executive chairman Adam Stewart.

Jill passed away last July at 43 after a year-long battle with sarcoma. She and Mr Stewart were high school sweethearts, and she had a pilates studio in Jamaica, where she was also an avid runner and supporter of running events.

The new fleet will primarily be used to teach students from Bahamian government schools how to row, providing them with educational opportunities through sport.

At a dedication ceremony at the Nassau Rowing Club yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper emphasised the importance of the event.

“The sport of tourism is really being bolstered by the sport of rowing today. The sport of rowing is an emerging sport that has, in just over a decade, made a place for itself in the sporting landscape of The Bahamas,” he said.

Mr Cooper praised Mr Stewart and the club for their commitment to building youth resilience and noted that the Nassau Rowing Club could serve as a winter training ground for international collegiate teams.

Mr Stewart, accompanied by his family, said: “Since the Sandals Foundation was established in 2009, we’ve initiated about 150 different programmes, and this one is unique in its focus on sport. We dedicated it to my wife, who was Bahamian and an educator. She believed in sport and youth, so it felt very appropriate.”

“The board of the Sandals Foundation saw this as an incredible programme for a rowing club in the Caribbean. We love doing things in The Bahamas, and this initiative checked all the boxes. What I particularly loved was the zero barriers to entry; any child can participate without financial constraints. That was really powerful for us.”

Following the dedication, Mr Stewart, his family, and the Sandals Foundation team took a ride on the lake.

British High Commissioner to The Bahamas Tom Hartley and US Charge d’Affaires Kimberly Furnish also attended the event.