MIAMI, FL - I haven’t yet summited Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Dominican Republic (DR), but I think it is a goal that should be on every industry member’s list. Why? Because Continental Fresh has been taking this challenging hike as a unique opportunity to give back to communities in need. As 19 people from across the industry recently made this journey for the supplier’s Water For All hike, I hopped on a call with Albert Perez, Chief Executive Officer and Grower Relations, to discuss the importance and impact of the trek.
“This year, we ended up taking 19 people on the hike—from growers to wholesalers, importers, and past retail execs—who all participated in this walk for water so that those in the Dominican Republic don’t have to travel over 2 kilometers for water themselves,” Albert shares with me. “We had people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Korea, and more, as well as people from all over the United States, take this challenging 27-mile round trip.”
The hike took place over three days. When the team reached the top of the mountain, standing at over 10,000 feet in the air, Continental Fresh basked in the success of its Water For All fundraising efforts, providing a vital contribution to critical water efforts in the DR.
“When we got to the top, we presented BLUE Missions with a check for $41,479.11 and awarded everyone medals for completing the hike,” Albert reflects. “On day four, we took the group to one of the communities where the water projects have been built, so they could see the process and the impact of their efforts. They got to see the faucets in the homes of the people who benefitted from the projects, and it was a day that really made a big impression on everyone who came for the hike.”
The funds presented to BLUE Missions were collected through Continental Fresh’s Water For All label, which donates one penny per box toward water projects like these, as well as fundraising in the lead-up to this year’s hike.
After such an impactful experience hiking and uplifting the surrounding communities, the group rounded out the trip with a lunch in the town, followed by a professional Dominican baseball game—which Albert assures me is quite the party.
Keep an eye out for more updates from Continental Fresh, because you definitely don’t want to miss next year’s trip!
