Harbour Lights - A BlueGreen Resort Property

A Different Kind of Hero

Hero’s come in many forms; some are returning from abroad, where they put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedoms and others are simply making a difference in the lives of those around them.

This past year, during the 2010 Veterans Day holiday, many of us took the time to stop and pay tribute to the soldiers currently serving our country and those who have previously served… we owe them a debt of gratitude.

While at the 2010 WIN (Women in the Industry) conference in Myrtle Beach SC, I learned about a non-profit organization called Scents of Soldiers and an extraordinary group of employees at the Harbour Lights Resort – a BlueGreen Resort – where the conference was held.

Scents for Soldiers started in 2007 with a few holiday pies and some scented candles that brought the smells of Thanksgiving to the rooms of wounded soldiers and their families during a difficult time of recuperation.  A time when most of us are enjoying our families and festivities at home; these brave men and women struggle to regain a normal life for them and their family… while they recover at the Walter Reed Medical Center.

Certainly Scents for Soldiers is not the only organization making a difference, but part of their mission statement, “To provide anything that helps support our wounded soldiers and their recovery”, makes them stand out in the crowd.  Sometimes it is the simple things that make the soldier feel more at home.  Cookies, neck massagers, diapers, scented candles, makers, toilet paper, wash cloths, towels and food, are just a few of the items they have provided.

Just as impressive as this non-profit champion was the Resort Operations Team at the Harbour Lights resort.

A winner of the 1^st quarter, 2010 Gung Ho award at BlueGreen Resorts, the operations team at Harbour Lights takes community service seriously.  This past year the team took this to a whole new level.

 In January of 2010, the Harbour Lights team hosted a group of wounded soldiers from the Walter Reed Medical Center.  These soldiers, along with their families, spent four days at the resort property as a refreshing change of scenery from the sterile hospital setting that had become their temporary home.

The resort administrator contacted local veterans groups and rallied a small army – yes, a pun intended – to help with the welcome reception for these special guests.

Activities and maintenance staff volunteered their time as well, to help ensure that the rooms were ready, along with the welcome gifts, food and encouraging letters.

The welcome reception hosted several veterans groups, supporters and the media for the arrival of the soldiers and their families.  With more than one hundred participants, the Harbour Lights team managed the logistics… directing traffic, organizing and serving food and beverages, deliver luggage, shuttle services, clean up and more. 

Despite the long hours of preparation, extra work and the clean up; the Harbour Lights staff was quoted as saying “Can we do it again next year”.

Making a difference in the lives of those around them… the Harbour Lights team is surely a different kind of hero!

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