In March, 2009, members of the Turks and Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation (TCFAF) teamed up with the staff and volunteers from the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre to provide a week of professional workshops for the youth in the areas of dance and drama. The TCFAF brought in a non-profit professional ballet company called Pages to Pirouettes, which includes members of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company and included a performance of "Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty." This is a great example of the type of collaboration we envisioned when the Turks and Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation set out to build a youth centre. We are extremely happy to see events like this happening at the centre and – more importantly – for our youth. - Photos courtesy of www.events-on-line.org

Our 4th annual Turf and Surf fundraising event, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Beaches Resort and Spa, resulted in $52,000 being raised – with the majority of the funds going to the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre. We are thankful to everyone who came out and supported us and made the evening a huge success, especially Bordier International Bank & Trust Ltd who was the big winner of the evening and donated all of its proceeds back to us.

The Turks & Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation (TCAAF) celebrated a major milestone on Monday, December 1, 2008 – World AIDS Day: the official opening of the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre. Establishing a first-class youth centre has been a major initiative of the TCAAF since young people are the most at risk from HIV/AIDS. The Edward C. Garland Youth Centre, located in downtown Providenciales, is open weekdays from 2 to 8 pm and 10 to 6 pm on Saturdays free of charge to youth between the ages of 12 – 24.

On Saturday May 24th, 2008 - Turks & Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation (TCAAF) held a naming and blessing ceremony for the new Youth Centre that we built in Providenciales. The ceremony was our way of thanking and honoring the companies and individuals that have helped make the project possible - especially Mr. Ed Gartland who was totally shocked to find out that the centre has been named after him for being the visionary and one of the major driving forces behind this project.

Turf and Surf is one of the TCAAF’s most successful fundraisers - bringing the thrill of horseracing to the Islands. One of the highlights of the night is the Turks and Caicos Derby, where the highest bidders get to own a horse. “Passing Wind” owned by Temple Group won this year’s derby.