A popular charity sporting initiative in Barbados is set to tip off in August with unprecedented participation and an ambitious fundraising goal, as the tourism and education sectors join forces to turn corporate passion for futsal into tangible support for the island nation’s schools.
The Adopt-A-School Futsal Tournament, organized in a joint partnership between the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and the Ministry of Education Transformation, has grown significantly since its debut last year. Organizers announced during a recent tournament update and team draw event held at Hotel Indigo in Christ Church that a record 24 corporate teams will compete this summer, up from the inaugural 16 teams in 2025. The event has set a new fundraising target of $50,000, more than doubling the $32,000 raised in the tournament’s first year.
Tessalee Moore, BHTA’s Special Projects Manager, framed the expansion as clear proof that the private sector is increasingly eager to back educational development through sports-based initiatives. “This year, our aim is to raise $50 000,” Moore shared during the announcement. “The funds raised would allow the program to continue responding to the needs identified through our work with the Ministry of Education Transformation and expand the support we’re able to provide to our schools.”
The initiative is rooted in the core belief that sport’s widespread popularity and unifying power can be leveraged to address critical gaps in local education and strengthen community bonds. From its launch, the tournament was built around the idea of aligning corporate engagement with meaningful public good: “The tournament was created around the simple idea that the power and popularity of sport could be used to support something equally important: the development of our schools and our young people. Through the Adopt-a-School programme, the BHTA works alongside the Ministry of Education Transformation to better understand the needs within our schools and to identify areas where support can make a meaningful difference,” Moore explained. The program’s overarching theme – “Supporting education, building community, promoting wellness” – continues to guide all of its operations and expansion.
Looking back at the 2025 inaugural tournament, Moore highlighted that the event already delivered measurable, long-lasting benefits to Barbadian schools. The first iteration of the tournament raised $32,000, which funded critical infrastructure and resources across multiple institutions: $5,000 for classroom projectors, $3,000 for cooling fans, $16,000 for water tanks, and $6,000 for football nets. The football nets were later donated to the National Sports Council to support national primary school football tournaments.
Moore noted that the jump from 16 to 24 participating teams checked a key personal and organizational goal set after the first tournament. “I’m happy to say challenge accepted and challenge conquered. We’re here today with 24 teams. That growth is something we’re incredibly proud of. It shows that the tournament is gaining momentum and that more companies are choosing to be a part of an initiative that brings together sport, corporate engagement and educational development.” Of the 24 competing teams this year, 20 are members of the BHTA, a showing Moore described as a clear demonstration of widespread member commitment to the initiative’s mission.
The tournament will run across six match weekends at the Oasis, starting August 8 and concluding August 30. Defending 2025 champions Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC), represented by Barbados Conference Services Limited, will return to defend their title.
BHTA Chief Executive Officer Senator Ryan Forde emphasized that the tournament was never designed to be just another recreational corporate sporting event. Beyond fundraising, the initiative is aligned with the BHTA’s core work supporting education and training for tourism sector workers, and is intended to deliver dual benefits for the industry and the broader community. “We wanted that we’re not just getting people to come and play a sport, but to educate them a little bit more on what the BHTA does,” Forde explained. “We deal with team members. We also deal with education and training, and because of that, we now are raising funds through the football initiative in order for us to give back to schools.” He added that the BHTA’s long-term goal is to establish the tournament as an annual, sustainable fundraising tradition that supports Barbadian schools year after year, while also boosting connection among tourism industry employees.
Reverend Stephen Scott, Deputy Chief Education Officer, welcomed the ongoing cross-sector partnership, noting that public education efforts cannot reach their full potential without support from private industry and community groups. Scott shared that the proceeds from last year’s tournament already enabled meaningful upgrades across primary and secondary schools, touching everything from information technology infrastructure and recreational facilities to environmental projects, nutrition programs and athletic opportunities. “We are cognisant that we cannot accomplish it all on our own and thus we are very happy to partner with others like the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association to work together towards these goals as we strive to be the number one education system in the world,” Scott said. “Your provision of items… has certainly assisted us in achieving the two aforementioned goals of our education transformation.” He also reminded participants that the students benefiting from the program could one day become the next generation of Barbados tourism workforce.
The Barbados Football Association has also thrown its support behind the initiative, with General Secretary Nicholas Branker reaffirming the organization’s commitment to using football as a tool for lasting social good. “The significance of this tournament extends well beyond the football court. Every team that participates, every sponsor that lends its support, every individual who contributes to this initiative is helping to create better learning environments and greater opportunities for the young people of Barbados,” Branker said. He added that football’s unique ability to break down sectoral barriers, build cross-community connections, encourage healthy lifestyles, and instill core values like teamwork, discipline, respect and resilience makes it the perfect vehicle for this kind of community initiative.
For the defending champions from LESC, the opportunity to compete for a good cause has made the entire experience even more rewarding than the 2025 title win. Tahir Batson, representing LESC/Barbados Conference Services Limited, called last year’s inaugural tournament an unforgettable experience. “It was very exciting knowing that it’s the first. It was very competitive… but we made it through. We made it to the end… becoming the champions,” Batson recalled. With the field expanding to 24 teams this year, Batson acknowledged the team will need to step up their performance to retain the title: “so we have to play definitely harder than what we did last year in order to get the title again as champions.”
Batson added that the team jumped at the chance to join the initiative from its launch, drawn by its mission to support local schools. “We were very excited when we first heard of it. We wanted desperately to be a part of it knowing what it would do in the end.” Lifting the inaugural trophy also provided a lasting boost to company morale, Batson said: “We were very happy, especially going back to work, wearing the medals around our necks… It was a good experience also, and it really boosts the company as a whole.”