89 times and counting
US couple turns Couples Resort vacations into charity work
‘We went to many other places in the Caribbean, came back to Couples because our travel agent recommended it. We didn’t know it was Tower Isle (but) we were so excited we’ve been coming every year since, at least once a year, sometimes twice a year, even three times a year.’
IT’S A story that seems to justify the labelling of Jamaica as a paradise, with Couples Tower Isle resort being the preferred spot.
Over the past 48 years, Gene and Jane Saks of Florida in the United States has made a staggering 89 visits to Couples Resorts in Jamaica, 87 of them to Couples Tower Isle, and the other two to Couples Sans Souci and Couples Negril.
“It’s their (Couples Tower Isle) fault why we went to the other properties instead. They had closed down for renovation,” a chuckling Jane Saks told Hospitality Jamaica.
In the earlier days, the couple’s visits might have been just for vacation, but, over time, their visits have turned into charitable missions, with the two former teachers contributing immensely to several of Couples Tower Isle’s community givebacks.
Mrs Saks took the time recently to retrace their path through the years as it relates to coming to Jamaica.
“The first time we came to Tower Isle was in August of 1971 on our honeymoon, and again on our second honeymoon in February of 1973,” she recounted.
“We went to many other places in the Caribbean, came back to Couples because our travel agent recommended it. We didn’t know it was Tower Isle, (but) we were so excited we’ve been coming every year since, at least once a year, sometimes twice a year, even three times a year.”
She was asked, ‘Why do you keep coming back?’ Her response: “Because of the people, the staff, [and] the food is always very fabulous. The ambience of the hotel, it’s vintage but well kept,” she explained.
The first time the Saks actually made a contribution locally was 18 years ago.
“In January 2001, my friend from Arizona and my husband were on
the golf course and they decided they wanted to give back to the Jamaican people. They decided it would be nice to have a charity golf tournament to give back to the staff and their family. So we came back with our friend, who is a golf pro, in August of 2001 and went to the Port Maria Hospital. That was our first charity.
“The first tournament was January 2002, in collaboration with Couples (Tower Isle), and we’ve been having an annual tournament ever since.
“We’ve had many charities, a boys’ home in Highgate which, unfortunately, was burnt to the ground by vandals. We have Hamilton Mountain Basic and Primary School and the Three Hills Primary in Charles Town.”
It was Three Hills Primary School that they visited recently to look at some of the work that was done with the contribution they made from funds raised with the Rotary Clubs of Florida.
School principal Slean Harris was happy for the assistance and presented the Saks with a plaque as a show of appreciation.
Meanwhile, for the happy couple, the vacations will continue and the charity work will go on, as long as they are able to.