Heather Wood
Hamilton, Bermuda, March 21st 2025: Every year, the Convex End-to-End is a favourite fundraiser for young people. They take on the challenge together each May – walking, cycling, and rowing as school groups, community organisations, sports teams, and friends.
The annual event also gives middle and high school students a chance to earn community service hours through various roles, such as stuffing goody bags, handing out medals at The End Zone, and assisting with event logistics.
It’s a spirit that should be celebrated, and sponsors play a key role in making it possible, providing funding and resources that help encourage youth participation.
The $15,000 Bermuda End-to-End School Prize, sponsored by Deloitte, is awarded to the school that raises the most money during the event.
To become eligible, schools must create their team with the Bermuda End-to-End and then encourage students, teachers, parents, guardians, and their wider community to select their school in the drop-down menu. Once registered, all funds the person raises will automatically increase the school total. The school that raises the highest amount will win the $15,000 prize.
“Deloitte is proud to sponsor the Bermuda End-to-End school prize, recognising the incredible efforts of schools in raising funds for important causes. This prize celebrates the school that raises the most money, showcasing their community spirit,” said John Johnston, CEO, Deloitte. “The funds raised will support various causes – from environmental conservation to youth development and healthcare assistance.”
Meanwhile, Butterfield is this year introducing its Young Striders initiative, covering the registration fees for 50 students from each of Bermuda’s three public middle schools: Sandys, Dellwood, and Whitney. The scheme builds on Butterfield’s long-standing support of the event.
“To further build on the event’s success and encourage the next generation to get involved, this year we are delighted to introduce our Young Striders initiative. This is of course in addition to our usual water stop at Whale Bay which our employee volunteers love being a part of, alongside our mascot Vern,” said Andrew Masters, VP, Group & Bermuda Marketing.
The Bermuda Special Olympics youth team uses the ETE Fun Walk as training for overseas competition. Athene Life Re will once again sponsor their registration.
“Supporting this team aligns with our commitment to fostering inclusivity and empowering individuals of all abilities,” said Natasha Scotland Courcy, CEO and general counsel for Athene Life Re. “We are honoured to contribute to such a meaningful event and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our community.”
This year, the two selected charities benefitting from End-to-End funding align closely with its youth focus. Christen Styche, chair of the board of trustees, explained why these charities stood out among the 47 applicants.
“Duke of Edinburgh’s Youth Achievement Award is a sustainable model for philanthropy and lays a foundation to make positive changes supporting healthy lifestyles. Activities to achieve the award include community service, physical recreation and skills development that promote teamwork, critical thinking, positive communication and a wealth of other life skills that are beneficial as our young people mature. All of these align closely with some of the core tenets of End-to-End – physical activity, healthy lifestyle and community. The programme anticipates more than 500 young leaders will benefit from the programme and that is a powerful impact of the funds raised from End-to-End,” she said.
“The Reading Clinic’s Core Reading Programme is aimed at helping children overcome dyslexia through one-on-one tutoring multiple times a week. Studies show that approximately 10-20 percent of the population has dyslexia so for Bermuda’s 8,960 school-aged children it’s reasonable to believe that there are almost 900 children with this condition. The Core Reading Programme’s intervention services can change the educational trajectory and thus lives, of these students. They provide financial assistance for families who cannot afford the full fees to ensure that our full community is able to benefit from their knowledge and resources. That really resonated with the board, several of whom had used the programme’s services as children.”
“Butterfield, Deloitte, and Athene have all played a crucial role in making this year’s End-to-End more accessible for young people,” Styche added. “With the funds raised supporting youth-focused charities, the impact of student participation is even greater.”
Read the article on The Bermudian