June 23, 2007 – Little Lyra Stewart held tight to her stuffed animal and pointed enthusiastically at bright pictures of animals, as Ms. Eileen Jackson or “Ms. J” read to her and other children at Yacht Haven Grande’s first storytelling event aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 10.
Jackson is just the first of a series of presenters who will be reading to children this summer. First lady Cecile deJongh, Amos Carty and Miss U.S. Virgin Islands 2007 winner Renata Christian are just a few of the local celebrities who are scheduled to read age-appropriate books to children, Derrick Franklin, marketing director for Island Global Yachting said.
Eighteen-month-old Stewart jumped for joy as Jackson pulled out her favorite book, “The Owl and the Pussycat,” by Edward Lear. Another book Jackson read to the small but receptive group was “My Five Senses” by Aliki. The book encourages young children to discover their five senses. “I can see with my…,” Jackson pronounced.
“It was good,” five-year-old Jackson Katz said. He liked “the book with the boats.”
This summer, in conjunction with the St. Thomas/St. John District, Yacht Haven Grande will be launching a series of community activities. “We are reaching out to different elements of the community,” Franklin said.
In addition to the storytelling events, a tennis and volleyball league are also in the works, he said. Franklin credits Andrew Farkas, Yacht Haven Grande developer, with the idea of opening the establishment to enrich young children through literature.
“Yacht Haven Grande is a strong supporter of the community and we are proud to introduce this new educational program for local residents and visitors,” said Alex Andrade, general manager of Yacht Haven Grande, in a press release.
“I really like what they (Yacht Haven Grande) are doing,” Jackson said. “I think it is very good not only being a corporate sponsor but also being involved in the community." She added,“They are really giving back to the community in so many ways.”
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