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A Day in the Life of Jason Henzell

Jason Henzell, the community activist who owns and operates Jakes, the innovative bohemian resort located in Treasure Beach on the south coast of Jamaica, just experienced another typical week in his busy, productive life.

In one week alone he

  • Graciously accepted the donation of a state-of-the-art ambulance for the Treasure Beach community from Michael Lee-Chin and The NCB Foundation.
  • Attended the Sandy Bank primary school graduation
  • Hosted the Mayor of the Parish of St. Elizabeth in preparation for Jamaica’s 50th Independence celebrations
  • Attended presentation of the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Plan by St. Elizabeth Parish Development committee to the Town & Country Planning Authority & the National Environment & Planning Agency
  • Hosted Peter Henry, the Dean of NYU’s Stern School of Business, who is working on a case study of the foundation
  • Organized a masters football tournament
  • Oversaw a Sports Tourism strategy workshop led by Carole Beckford, Usain Bolts’s publicist
  • Fostered a delegation of Breds reps, Jamaica Defence Force, UNICEF and RISE to devise a Ropes Course facility in Treasure Beach
  • Met with the Nature Conservancy about the Galleon Fishing Sanctuary
  • Gave countless tours of the Treasure Beach Sports Complex and Community Centre to prospective collaborators and volunteers.

 

The son of Perry and Sally Henzell, filmmakers and artists behind the seminal Jamaican film “The Harder They Come,” Henzell has crafted a life that intertwines business, sports, education, community organizing and environmental awareness to benefit the lives of everyone who lives in the Parish of St. Elizabeth, where he has resided for many years. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of Jakes, a bohemian resort & spa that was the artistic and architectural vision realized by his mother, Sally Densham Henzell, he is the director of Breds (Jamaica for “brethren”). He founded the non-profit organization in 1998 to promote education, sports, cultural heritage and emergency healthcare in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.

 

Breds and Jakes work in tandem to attract guests who thrive on getting to know the local community and lending a hand. With an emphasis on sports and eco-tourism the hotel attracts active, volunteer-enthusiastic guests.

 

Cathy and Chris Stoia had the good fortune of making the acquaintance of the Henzells while vacationing at Jakes in the summer of 2011. They recognized the important projects the Henzells were doing and they stepped in to offer their expertise to produce a documentary film about Breds and The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre. Filmed in the spring of 2012 by Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs, it was released in the summer of 2012, close to the 1-year anniversary of the Stoia’s visit to Jakes.

 

The Henzells have a palpable energy and open arms who embrace all volunteers or “angels”.  Visit Treasure Beach, Jamaica and see for yourself. You just might find the perfect project to earn your wings.

 

Upcoming events and projects at Breds and Jakes:

Hook N’ Line Fishing Tournament October 13 – 15, 2012

18th Annual Jakes Off-Road Triathlon & The Treasure Beach Sports Festival to Benefit Breds April 20 – 22, 2013

4th Annual Likkle Jake’s Kid’s Triathlon April 21, 2013

Calabash International Literary Festival Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Galleon Fishing Sanctuary managed by Breds along with the Long Acre Fishing Community

Breds – Treasure Beach Foundation on Facebook

 

Categories
blog

A Day in the Life of Jason Henzell

Jason Henzell, the community activist who owns and operates Jakes, the innovative bohemian resort located in Treasure Beach on the south coast of Jamaica, just experienced another typical week in his busy, productive life.

In one week alone he

  • Graciously accepted the donation of a state-of-the-art ambulance for the Treasure Beach community from Michael Lee-Chin and The NCB Foundation.
  • Attended the Sandy Bank primary school graduation
  • Hosted the Mayor of the Parish of St. Elizabeth in preparation for Jamaica’s 50th Independence celebrations
  • Attended presentation of the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Plan by St. Elizabeth Parish Development committee to the Town & Country Planning Authority & the National Environment & Planning Agency
  • Hosted Peter Henry, the Dean of NYU’s Stern School of Business, who is working on a case study of the foundation
  • Organized a masters football tournament
  • Oversaw a Sports Tourism strategy workshop led by Carole Beckford, Usain Bolts’s publicist
  • Fostered a delegation of Breds reps, Jamaica Defence Force, UNICEF and RISE to devise a Ropes Course facility in Treasure Beach
  • Met with the Nature Conservancy about the Galleon Fishing Sanctuary
  • Gave countless tours of the Treasure Beach Sports Complex and Community Centre to prospective collaborators and volunteers.

 

The son of Perry and Sally Henzell, filmmakers and artists behind the seminal Jamaican film “The Harder They Come,” Henzell has crafted a life that intertwines business, sports, education, community organizing and environmental awareness to benefit the lives of everyone who lives in the Parish of St. Elizabeth, where he has resided for many years. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of Jakes, a bohemian resort & spa that was the artistic and architectural vision realized by his mother, Sally Densham Henzell, he is the director of Breds (Jamaica for “brethren”). He founded the non-profit organization in 1998 to promote education, sports, cultural heritage and emergency healthcare in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.

 

Breds and Jakes work in tandem to attract guests who thrive on getting to know the local community and lending a hand. With an emphasis on sports and eco-tourism the hotel attracts active, volunteer-enthusiastic guests.

 

Cathy and Chris Stoia had the good fortune of making the acquaintance of the Henzells while vacationing at Jakes in the summer of 2011. They recognized the important projects the Henzells were doing and they stepped in to offer their expertise to produce a documentary film about Breds and The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre. Filmed in the spring of 2012 by Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs, it was released in the summer of 2012, close to the 1-year anniversary of the Stoia’s visit to Jakes.

 

The Henzells have a palpable energy and open arms who embrace all volunteers or “angels”.  Visit Treasure Beach, Jamaica and see for yourself. You just might find the perfect project to earn your wings.

 

Upcoming events and projects at Breds and Jakes:

Hook N’ Line Fishing Tournament October 13 – 15, 2012

18th Annual Jakes Off-Road Triathlon & The Treasure Beach Sports Festival to Benefit Breds April 20 – 22, 2013

4th Annual Likkle Jake’s Kid’s Triathlon April 21, 2013

Calabash International Literary Festival Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Galleon Fishing Sanctuary managed by Breds along with the Long Acre Fishing Community

Breds – Treasure Beach Foundation on Facebook

 

Categories
blog eco event

Fish Around the World with Morgan

My brother Morgan loves to fish. He mastered the art of fishing at an early age. I’ve long heard tales of him outcasting all the seasoned fishermen beside him on the little bridge on Still Pond Creek where he fished, when he was 4 years old.

Morgan, age 4, fishing for perch. Handpainted tiles by Joan Gardiner

His love of the sea and the fish within has occupied many of his days on both coasts of the states. He now lives in San Francisco and fishes daily, along the shore or far out in the ocean. Favorite perches include the Farallon Islands, 17 miles from Golden Gate for ling cod and rock cod, Duxbury Reef for king salmon and Ocean Beach for perch grubbing.

 

I came across an engaging multimedia article about Kirk Lombard, a Bay Area urban angler who fishes in every nook and cranny he can find in the City by the Bay. The joy of the hunt and returning home to dine on the fresh catch reminded me of many meals with my brother. Turns out they are good fishing buddies.

Morgan fishing at Tolchester Beach on the Chesapeake Bay.

A few more fish related stories surfaced this week, two from Jakes in Jamaica. The Times reported that guests at the bohemian resort in southern Jamaica favor a sustainable meal, fish-to-table, that they catch themselves with Captain Dennis Abrahams.

In order to advance marine sustainability, Breds at Treasure Beach partnered with The Nature Conservancy to help maintain the Galleon Bay Fishing Sanctuary, a coastal area near Jakes where no fishing is allowed. The sanctuary helps replenish the fish stock and protect the delicate eco-structure of mangroves, coral reefs, sea turtles and marine life.

Jason Henzell, Susan Smith, chairman of The Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean board of trustees, and Dennis Abrahams team up for the Galleon Bay Fishing Sanctuary, a Breds project.

 

Come fall, Breds hosts a Hook N’ Line Fishing Tournament (October 13 – 15, 2012) in waters outside of the Fishing Sanctuary. Maybe my brother will be a contender in this year’s tournament, and bring home the gold snapper, or whatever is biting that day.

 

Morgan Raimond: Metalsmith, Gardener and Urban Fisherman

Jake’s Resort – Treasure Beach, Jamaica

Breds Treasure Beach Foundation

The Nature Conservancy

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
blog eco-tourism

Breds, Sisters, Friends at Treasure Beach

Last summer my dear friend and producer Cathy went on what she imagined would be a restorative family vacation. She rented a villa in Treasure Beach, on the secluded southern shore of Jamaica. She envisioned a week relaxing with her husband Chris, two sons and a dear friend. They stayed in a whitewashed villa next to the sea with inspiring views of the sunrise and sunset. The adventure was everything she expected, but she got so much more than she could have imagined.
While on the trip she had the good fortune of meeting Jason Henzell, the owner of Jake’s Resort. Jason was born in Jamaica, educated in the West Indies and the United States. His parents, the infamous Perry and Sally Densham Henzell raised Jason and his sister Justine near Treasure Beach. His father was the filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the legendary Jamaican movie, “The Harder They Come” starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. His mother is the visionary designer who created the arty-bohemian beach resort on the southwest coast of Jamaica, where she had been homesteading with her family since she was a young girl.

 

Getting to know the Henzells on a dreamy vacation made it dreamier. The family members are regarded as local heroes, having contributed their artistic, eco-friendly entrepreneurship to the region for decades. While creating their visionary resort they established bonds with everyone from the local school children, artisans, merchants and fishermen to the Mayors and Prime Ministers of the country. Jason’s wife Laura runs a primary school called Little Fish where they are trying to open up the world of education to the local school children from a very young age.

 

Seeing this full spectrum approach to civic activity and education nurturing, coupled with the respectful relationship between the resort owners and the all the grateful faces of the children ignited a desire to help. Soon she tuned into their most ambitious project, Treasure Beach Sports Park & Academy. The project is run by Breds, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded by Jason Henzell in 1998. The name means  “bredren” or “brothers” in the local dialect.

 

Breds welcomes volunteer help, so Cathy and her husband Chris signed on to produce a video that would shed light on the Sports Park & Academy project. The video is geared to increase awareness and help raise funds to complete the final phase of the park. In the spring of 2012 she enlisted a top-notch production team to document the story of all the children who would benefit from a state-of-the-art educational sports program and facility.

 

Cathy Stoia and Pamela Cederquist co-produced the documentary video and Zach Starr of Starr Media Designs directed. Chris Stoia was the Assistant Director. It is in post-production and will be released this summer. They cannot wait for you to meet the wonderful children and denizens of the Treasure Beach community who were interviewed in the film. One of Cathy’s favorites is a super shy 12-year-old girl who recently ran the 10 meter race in the lightning speed of 12.37 seconds. They transformed her life and she knows they will do the same to you.

 

You too can travel to Treasure Beach, meet the remarkable community, see the grateful, happy faces and witness all they are doing together. And perhaps you will join in and make some breds and sisters too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: The Treasure Beach Sports Park and Community Centre documentary premiered in August 2012

 

YouTube Preview Image