The Sinalei Reef Resort has presented a cheque of $8,000 to the Goshen Trust Mental Health Facility.

The financial support was raised during the celebration of their 22nd year anniversary held at the Resort last week.

Resort’s Director, Sose Annandale, said the money is a token of appreciation to the foundation.

“While we were celebrating our 21 years of service, we thought what better way for us to commemorate this celebration than to be working towards a cause,” she said.

“We thought of other foundations, but then we acknowledge the fact that this is one foundation that is struggling for many years as we moved earlier on.

“It was a beautiful evening, we invited a well-known band from New Zealand to come over and provide the entertainment.

“Thank God we had good weather and after cyclone Gita we were doubtful as to how that was to go, but it turned out to be a beautiful evening.

“The only thing is we had hoped that we would be able to raise a lot more funds but following the cyclone our tickets sales sort of dried out so unfortunately we couldn’t come up with more.

“So we are here to present a little gift with our alofas, it’s a small token of our appreciation for the great work that you continue to do to the Goshen Foundation for Mental Health Facility and we applaud you for the great work that you continue to do and wish you all the very best.”

Patron of the Goshen Trust Mental Health Facility and former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi acknowledged the support of the management team and staff of Sinalei Resort.

“I want to thank Tuatagaloa and Sose Annandale for this great initiative,” he said.

“It has been a long road to hope since Goshen has begun, but somehow through the work and dedication of the people, we have survived.

“It is now at a point where it is obviously has a lot more lavage and it is a professional, political and social level and this is all to do because we are dealing here with some of the most vulnerable people in the community and I think it reflects well on a community as well as the humanity of leadership that there is a positive interest in addressing the needs of people. 

“It is a tiring work that require lots of dedication, but it needs also a very special caring and understanding in order to succeed and bring calm to people who often need that as well to make them aware that the people do care and that they are not without support.

“I speak as somebody who has been involved for many years, but I can’t say that I have been in that close to the actual work, but I can tell you this much that I have learned more as a person in the work of those who are more involved.

 “I am very happy that there is now recognition at a professional level of the important work done.”