In Business

Twenty four teams entered the Sol Rotary Go Further Car Rally on Saturday, December 1. Combining commerce, fun, and philanthropy, Sol partnered with the Rotary Club of Tortola to organise the rally as part of the launch activities for the new Sol Go Further car fuel. The BVI is the third market in the Caribbean along with Suriname and Barbados where the product has launched. As part of the launch programme, Sol distributed cash prizes of $5000 to the three winning teams of the car rally and an additional $5000 to benefit the Rotary Club of Tortola’s community projects.

“We were extremely happy with the participation levels for this fun, community initiative that tied in perfectly with the launch of Sol’s new gasoline product line,” said Deborah Benjamin, country manager for Sol. “Our launch teaser campaign played on the 10K concept of the Sol Go Further fuel which improves the efficiency of car engines through a cleaning technology and which is designed to deliver up to 10 kilometers more with every tank. This is based on average driving conditions in a 1.8 litre car with a full 50 litre gas tank.

“We had $10,000 in gift money and we chose to partner with the Rotary Club of Tortola. Our decision enabled us to work closely with a commendable organisation of committed volunteers who definitely live up to their creed of putting service above self! It is our honour to contribute $5000 towards the Club’s community projects as well as to share $5000 amongst our customers who joined in the rally.”

The car rally that started and finished at the Festival Village Grounds, tested the knowledge and deciphering skills of participants as they followed a series of questions and clues from point to point on a route through the eastern side of Tortola. Independent tabulators tallied the final scores once all cars had returned. Results were based on the number of correct answers submitted and tokens collected by each team

First place winners of the $2,500 prize with 80 points were Annalie Morris and Thomas Means who were accompanied by their two young children.

Second place for a $1,500 prize went to the five-member, BDO team. Dalan Vanterpool, Clint James, Janice De Guzmon, Florencio Taray, and Renette Jennings accumulated 77 points. The team, who entertained the crowd on demand with their presentation of Disco Gangnam Style, also won the Sol prize for the best decorated car.

Third place for $1000 was a 75-point tie between car # 16 with team members Deria Joseph, Samano Barker-Thomas, Rennea Powell, and Dame Peters, and car # 3 with James and Sheila Hall, and Paul and Sheila Backshall. Each team received $500.

The best team costume Sol prize went to the four-member team, The Beaconites, while The Funtastic Fairies received the Sol prize for the most creative Sol orange and blue team. The category prizes included $100 worth of vouchers for the new Sol go further fuel.

Activities at the Festival Village Grounds included cycling instructions and road safety awareness organised by Chris Ghiorse of BSAFE. Popular amongst the Rotarians was a dunk tank with special guest target, Sam Welch, President of the Rotary Club of Tortola.

To register for the rally, participants had to fuel up for $30 or more at a Sol service station. As part of its ongoing product launch campaign that runs through December 24, Sol is promoting a Seasonal gift of daily free fuel vouchers to patrons fueling at a randomly selected pump when a bell is rung at Sol service stations in Tortola and Virgin Gorda.