The General High-School of Santorini is supported by Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa and the NGO Agoni Grammi Gonimi through the innovative “WeAreTheEnviRonment” Program.

The first year of the innovative environmental program “WeAreTheEnvironment” has successfully been completed proving that the joint private and public initiatives aiming for the common good, can substantially contribute to local communities.

The program “WeAreTheEnvironment” came to life in July 2018 and inaugurated by the award-winning Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa hotel in Santorini, member of Metaxas Group of Companies, and the Greek Non-Profit Organization Agoni Grammi Gonimi.  Based on the pillars of Education and Social Service, the main focus of the Program is to raise awareness of the importance of the environmental protection against the improvident use of plastic. This program also succeeds in bringing entities and companies together, realizing thus the UN’s Seventeenth Sustainable Development Goal on “the partnerships for the common goals”.

Initially, the students of the three High-Schools of Santorini attended a series of environmental workshops under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and with the participation of the environmental organizations “Archipelagos – Institute of Marine Conversation”, “Hellenic Oceanographers Association”, “Aegean Rebreath”, “iSea” and “Greenest”. The second phase of the program included the design of the ecofriendly cloth bag ‘’WaterBag’’, which was distributed at specific selling points and supporters of the program, not only in Santorini island but all over Greece.

In 2018, 300 eco-friendly “WaterBags” bags were sold. The sales revenue supplied the General High-School of Santorini with necessary equipment. Some indicative equipment that students now have at their disposal are air-conditions, sports equipment, projector for presentations, refrigerator as well as equipment for the sports tournament. The donation took place in a gathering at the courtyard of the school in which the Teachers Association of the General High-School, representatives of Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa and the Supporters of the program were present. The genuine advocates of the program, however, were the children smiles and their happily shaped faces.

“We wish to thank everyone that has contributed to this program, so that we can stand here today. We are delighted to embrace environmentally focused actions, while both the students and the Teachers’ Association are delighted with the aims that this program fulfills.”, Mr. Antonis Karamolegos, Manager of General High-School of Santorini stated.

The General Manager of Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, Mr. Manos Borboudakis, addressing to the students, said: “The hope of this beautiful island depends on you, your generation and your willing to make the white the dominant color of your everyday life, by simply doing today your best for a better and sustainable tomorrow. Through this program, we did the least possible aiming to contribute to your environmental education. Besides, in all the hotels of Metaxas Group the support of the local communities, in which we operate, is the basis of our philosophy.”

During the delivery of the donation, Mr. Stefanos Nollas, the President of the N.P.O Agoni Grammi Gonimi, said: “We create solidarity branches through the partnership of the public and private sectors involving schools, shops, wineries, hotels, and consumers across the world. We are greatly joyous for this action. Now, we focus on the environment through our actions. The past generations have created the phenomenon of the tourism bloom in the island of Santorini, the next generations though are called to find solutions for its sustainable development.”

The innovative program “WeAreTheEnvironment” renews its promise and continues its actions the forthcoming year through the sale of the eco-friendly “WaterBag” and new actions.

The selling points and valuable supporters who participated and embraced the Program for 2018 are: the Ammos Stores, the Brusco Restaurant, the Domaine Sigalas, the Estate Argyros, the Mediterranean Dive Club, the Oia Vineyart restaurant, the Poniros Jewellery, the Santorini Arts Factory and the Tomato Industrial Museum “D. Nomikos“,  the Santorini Nautical Club, the Santo Wines – Union of Santorini Cooperatives, and the hotels of the Metaxas Group of Companies – Santo Maris Oia in Santorini, Candia Maris and Creta Maris in Crete. The program is also supported by selling points across Greece, such as the Benaki Museum Shops, the Gallerie Marneri in Athens, and the Idea Café and Emporium in Skopelos. Official transport supporter is the Blue Star Ferries.

If you wish to learn more information and support the “WeAreTheEnvironment” program and the “WaterBags”, you can visit the website waterbags.gr, follow the WaterBags on Instagram @Water_Bags or just send us an email to info@waterbags.gr

 To download high-resolution photos from the donation event please follow the following link: https://goo.gl/wEhw5q