Colina’s Resident Actuary and his Autistic son, Obasi, made a $10,000 donation to The Bahamas Resource and Educational Source for Autism and other related CHallenges (R.E.A.C.H.) on behalf of the company today, in keeping with the Insurer’s commitment to health and wellness.

“Colina has been operating in The Bahamas longer than any other insurer; we are Bahamian and we are committed to our communities,” said Maxine Seymour, Director, Corporate Communications, Colina. “Autism is a very real and complex disability that many families in our country struggle with on a daily basis and so we wanted to demonstrate our support in a tangible way this April.”

“R.E.A.C.H. is very pleased to partner with Colina this year,” said Dwayne Gibson, Chairman, Board of Directors, R.E.A.C.H.. “It has been a challenging twelve months for the organization, our country as a whole and for our children. We continue to struggle to put forward various initiatives during this pandemic to impact our kids so today’s donation will allow us to look at other outR.E.A.C.H. opportunities”.

“We are very happy to start off our light it up blue campaign at Colina – thank you for the opportunity,” said Gibson.

“It is a distinct pleasure that my employer, Colina is making this donation today to R.E.A.C.H. – an organization that does very viable work serving the autistic community, serving caregivers, parents and those who love children and adults with autism,” said Marcus Bosland, Resident Actuary, Colina. “R.E.A.C.H.’s work is important and I am really grateful that Colina is taking this opportunity to partner with the organization.”

“The population of children with autism in The Bahamas may not be massive but we are here and we are important. R.E.A.C.H. has been invaluable in providing a community of persons who are walking the same path so we do not feel so alone dealing with this neurological disorder,” Bosland said.

April is Autism Awareness month.  Colina is showcasing a blue light display at their 308 East Bay location during the entire month of April. Representatives from R.E.A.C.H. and Colina inspected the lights ahead of the building going blue later that evening, concurrent with R.E.A.C.H.’s annual Light It Up Blue event at the organization’s headquarters on Queen’s College Campus.

Colina employees are also bringing awareness to and raising funds for autism. The staff purchased t-shirts and will wear them each Friday during the month of April.

“Our family proudly wears autism shirts and we are elated that our colleagues will be joining us in wearing the shirts on Fridays because what is necessary in our community is understanding and wearing the t-shirts brings awareness which is the first step toward acceptance,” Bosland said.

Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation (Autism Society). 

About Resource and Educational Source for Autism and other related CHallenges (R.E.A.C.H) R.E.A.C.H is The Bahamas’ Resource and Educational source for Autism and other related CHallenges. The non-profit organization aims to provide parents with comprehensive knowledge and tools in all areas of this neurobiological disorder.

About Colina Insurance Limited (Colina) Colina is a diversified financial services company, offering comprehensive life and health insurance solutions. Colina is wholly-owned by Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited (CHBL).  CHBL is a Bahamian Company, built on a firm foundation of trust, integrity and responsibility. Colina has evolved over the past 155 years to become The Bahamas’ largest life and health insurer, with a solid reputation for providing insurance and related financial services products that help clients prepare for life’s unexpected events.