Feature Story Xp Bonaire IslandLife
The fundraiser, Het Gazen Huis 2021, started the 13th of October, 2021, and will continue until the 25th of December, 2021. The fundraiser calls on our own community to fight poverty on the island.
Those of you who come from the European Netherlands may have heard of its famous counterpart in the Netherlands: Het Glazen Huis (The Glass House).
3FM Serious Request, also known simply as Serious Request, is a fundraising campaign that has been organized annually since 2004 in the week before Christmas. During the promotion, DJs are committed to a specific theme. Until 2020, the campaign was in collaboration with the Red Cross. From 2021, the World Wildlife Fund will be the collaborating organization.
For years the event took the form of a glass house, in which some DJs were locked up without food for five or six days. The DJs played requests for listeners day and night in exchange for a donation. In addition, well-known Dutch people were deployed and donated items were auctioned. During the first three editions, the Glass House was on the Neude in Utrecht. The location changed in 2007.
In 2018, 3FM decided to stop using the Glass House and opted for a new setup. Since then, the event has had various interpretations: in 2018 and 2019 a walking tour with the DJs was organized through the Netherlands and in 2020 the DJs were locked up in a shed on an event site.
Het Gazen Huis
On Bonaire, the fundraiser came to life in 2020, in the middle of the covid crisis. All through the year, weekly meal cooking and food collections took place to help those in need in our community.
Initiator, Bas van der Hee, and owner of Smooth Operator believes that running a business successfully goes hand in hand with growing a healthy community and taking care of those who struggle. With a wink to its Dutch counterpart, Bas and friends called the Bonaire version Het Gazen Huis. Since sitting behind glass would be too hot, mash on the other hand, lets the breeze through.
Bas van de Hee, Joland van den Eijnde, the auctioneer, Lisanne van de Kookshow and Mirjam Hogeweg are the main initiators of this year’s event.
Don’t Let Our Elderly Fall
For the second time, the annual fundraiser will take place between October 13th and December 25th. The fundraiser is in collaboration of Voedselbank (food bank) and Kiwanis Foundation with this year’s focus on “Don’t Let Our Elderly Fall”.
Oftentimes our elderly are the least valued in our community and neglected. Many houses on Bonaire are old and not well maintained, oftentimes with big cracks in walls and floors.
Elderly with impairments have a hard time moving around on those faulty floors, sometimes with dangerous consequences. Health insurance providers don't cover the cost of anti-slip floors and renovations. Het Gazen Huis will lend a helping hand building custom floors where needed the most. This way the elderly can live longer and safer in their trusted homes.
Many donations have already been gifted and more are added daily. All of our community and island visitors can take part in the online auction and bid on many great items. You can follow the updates on Facebook: Het Gazen Huis 2021
Support - Local and International
Emile, from Van den Hoorn Makelaardij (brokerage firm), announced his great support online:
“From every sale, this real estate agent makes between 25-10 and 25-12, I will donate 200 euros and for every purchase 100. In addition, I will try to persuade other colleagues to sponsor as well!”
On Bonaire, Fairmiles B.V. again committed to a US$1,000 cash donation and many other businesses are taking part with cash donations, great items or services for the online auction or donations to the food bank.
Live events are taking place well into next year 2022, like Speelman & Speelman. Radio stations on the island are broadcasting events, like Mega Hit FM every Wednesday at Spice Beach Club. On Saturdays at Hillside a weekly theme night will be organized, all tips go to the fundraising event.
Get involved
Take part and support a healthy community on the island with donations or take part in the online auction.
The goal of this year’s auction is US$15,000.
INFO
Het Gazen Huis
Online Auction: 32auction.com/hetgazenhuis