Every year when the carnival season comes around there is usually a lot of brainstorming among band members and organisers about how to ensure that St. Lucia enjoys a safe and sober carnival celebration. Amidst all the fun, alcohol consumption is quite high resulting in persons becoming intoxicated and suffering from hangovers and all its debilitating effects.
This year Grace Foods, one of the Caribbean’s largest and most dynamic food and beverage companies, known all throughout the world, joined forces with its St. Lucian distributor, Peter & Company Distribution and Just4Fun, St. Lucia’s largest carnival band, to introduce a groundbreaking new initiative which showed that you don’t have to sacrifice healthy lifestyle practices or your sobriety in order to play mas and have a great time.
PCD through the Grace and Seven Seas brands executed the Grace/ Seven Seas Sober Zones at five major carnival events where attendees were invited to relax and socialize as they reenergized before heading home by sampling Grace Soups and Haliborange Vitamin C packets.
Alcohol has been proven to deplete the body of Vitamin C, which is an essential vitamin needed for reducing oxidative stress in the liver. Vitamin C also helps to protect the liver from toxins. Studies have shown that consuming Vitamin C after alcohol intake can help to reduce the effects of a hangover, and as a result, health experts strongly recommend getting enough Vitamin C, either via supplements or food, before consuming alcoholic beverages.
Approximately 400 band members got the opportunity to relax and freshen up in the Sober Zone at each of the five events. Along with the free food and vitamin samplings they were provided with Haliborange Vitamin C + energy flyers and Grace recipe cards. Grace/Seven Seas Ambassadors were also present and took the opportunity to engage health conscious patrons in discussions about the energy- boosting and immune system benefits of Haliborange Vitamin C as well as informing them of the extensive range of Grace products available locally.
Grace has long been a generous sponsor of cultural and sporting activities in the Caribbean, as well as the UK and North America. The company was delighted to build upon this proud legacy by joining forces with Just4Fun and Peter & Company to add a new and exciting feature to St. Lucia’s 2016 carnival festivities. Mrs. Keneene Betty – Forde, Brand Manager for Grace indicated, “Our sponsorship of a Sober Zone took on even greater significance in view of the fact that it was an investment not just in the preservation of St. Lucia’s cultural heritage but also a way of furthering our mission of promoting healthy lifestyle practices in the region. It also gave us an excellent opportunity to highlight the Grace brand in St. Lucia so that more people can become familiar with our products and enjoy a genuine taste of the Caribbean.”
“The Sober Zone was conceptualised as a way of helping to ensure that the health and safety of the patrons was made a priority in a season of increased alcohol consumption. They got the opportunity to enjoy some of Grace’s choice products that provide a good balance of protein, vitamins and minerals, and which are vital for healthy living and necessary to boost energy levels,” said Betty – Forde.
The Grace/Seven Seas Sober Zone was a huge hit judging by the feedback the company received from the Jut4Fun members who experienced the fun and excitement of being part of it.
“They were all very receptive to this initiative and eager to learn about the benefits of using each product. Given the positive response to the zone and the fact that after the first couple of events the patrons started looking forward to the zone at other events, we look forward to this being a regular feature of the carnival season. It is also our hope that it encourages more revelers to stay safe and healthy during the carnival activities,” said Betty – Forde.
Grace and PCD compliments Just4Fun for welcoming this initiative and look forward to further collaborations aimed at promoting safety and a healthy lifestyle.
