| Contact: | Marie Rosa/Candice Adams Kimmel |
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
BONAIRE TO HOST WOUNDED WARRIORS FOR THE
5TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
**Severely Injured US Troops use SCUBA for Continued Rehabilitation**
Kralendijk, Bonaire – For the fifth consecutive year, Tourism Corporation Bonaire and the entire island of Bonaire are proud to welcome the Wounded Warriors to their “home away from home” as they use SCUBA diving for rehabilitation and recreation from August 7th through 14th, 2010.
During this week, severely wounded troops and their significant others will travel to the island to complete the final step in the process of obtaining their dive certifications. Representatives of the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association’s (DEMA) Be a Diver Program and the North American office of Tourism Corporation Bonaire will also be joining this group. All accommodations and diving will be provided courtesy of Captain Don’s Habitat Bonaire. Each year the people of Bonaire open their arms to welcome this group and show them not only the natural beauty and pristine waters of the island, but also the warmth, friendliness and the genuine hospitality of the Bonairean people.
This year’s contingent of seven Wounded Warriors has suffered life-changing physical injuries which they received in combat while stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They and their partners will be kept busy with a variety of activities beginning with the completion of their PADI and HSA dive certifications, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Once certified, they will continue diving throughout the week, both from the dock of Captain Don’s Habitat and via boat dives to Klein Bonaire and other famous Bonaire dive sites. The group will also enjoy shopping, dining, sightseeing, and even a Texas-style BBQ. The highlight of the week will take place when the Bonaire community gathers to meet these extraordinary troops and their companions at the reception held in their honor at the home of Lt. Governor Glenn Thode.
“Over the last four years, an incredible bond has been developed between America’s Wounded Warriors and the people of Bonaire. We wish to show these exceptional men and women, who have given so much for their country, that they may still lead active lives with travel and scuba diving as an added dimension,” stated Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, Director of Tourism.
Sponsors to date of the 5th Bonaire-Be A Diver-Wounded Warrior Scuba Certification trip are: 9Line LLC, Adams Unlimited Public Relations & Marketing, AERIS, Bikers Bonaire, Bonaire KFC, BonaireTalk.com, Bonaire Quad Tours, Bonaire Guided Motorcycle Tours, Bonaire Tours & Vacations, Captain Don’s Habitat, Caradonna Dive Adventures, Inc., Care Coalition, Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine, Chat & Browse Bonaire, DEMA/Be a Diver, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine, Dive Training Magazine, Henderson, H.S.A. International Training Center of New Jersey, Islands Magazine, Jack Chalk & Family, Jewel Of Bonaire, NetTech, N.V., OCEANIC, PADI, Paradise Moon Bar & Restaurant, Patagonia Restaurant, Princeton Tec, Rum Runners, Sport Diver Magazine, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, and Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports USA Project. More will be added to the list in the weeks ahead.
Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, landsailing, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and seep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.
Bonaire is the recipient of the prestigious Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and continues to be recognized as one of the top destinations worldwide for its sustainable tourism and as one of the top diving destinations in the Atlantic/Caribbean for eight years in a row in the Scuba Diving magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards. It was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean (January 2008), and as the Favorite Dive Destination in the World by About.com (June, 2008).
For more information on Bonaire contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE 1-800-BONAIRE or visit Bonaire’s official web site at www.tourismbonaire.com. Follow Bonaire on Twitter and Facebook.
DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry. With more than 1,400 members, this non-profit, global organization promotes scuba diving through many initiatives including consumer awareness programs, and media campaigns, the national Be A Diver campaign and produces the DEMA Show, a trade event open only to companies doing business in the scuba diving, action water sports and adventure/dive travel industries. For more information on DEMA, call 858-616-6408 858-616-6408 or visit www.dema.org/. For more information on the Be A Diver campaign visit www.BeADiver.com or become a friend at www.Facebook.com/BeADiver.