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CERC Director Dr. Gloria Callwood and Research Director
Dr. Noreen Michael accept a $2,500 check from Walgreens officials opening the
company newest store in St. Thomas. Also on hand for presentation were, from
left, UVI Director of Major Gifts Mitchell Neaves, Walgreens Corporate
Operations Vice President for Walgreens Southern Operation Charles Bernard, St.
Thomas store Pharmacy Manager Danielle Shook, Walgreens Puerto Rico and USVI
Market Vice President Nivia Santiago, Dr. Michael, Gov. John de Jongh Jr., UVI
Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations Richard Cleaver,
Callwood and St. Thomas Store Manager and Community Leader Justin Woods.
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UVI's Caribbean Exploratory Research
Center (CERC) received $2,500 to further its ongoing diabetes research efforts
in the territory from Walgreens on Saturday, Sept. 13, when the company opened
its first U.S. Virgin Islands store on St. Thomas.
CERC Principal
Investigator and Director Dr. Gloria Callwood said the idea for supporting the
organization's research stemmed from a community meeting which both she and
Justin Woods, Walgreens store manager and community leader, attended at the Schneider
Regional Medical Center. The session was organized by Sen. Clarence Payne, who
chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Veterans affairs, and Schneider CEO Dr.
Bernard Wheatley.
Dr. Callwood thanked
Walgreens for being a good corporate citizen. She was especially pleased the
company “recognizes the need for more research into this particular condition
to be done here.” She said diabetes and its complications are “one of the leading
causes of death in the territory.”
"We recognize
that diabetes is a prevalent issue that affects many people in the St. Thomas
community,” Walgreens Puerto Rico and USVI Market Vice President Nivia Santiago
said during the opening ceremony. “So, as part of our commitment to help
support the people in St. Thomas, we wanted to contribute to a local
organization on the island – the Caribbean Exploratory Research Center.”
Santiago told those
attending the opening that CERC sponsors research, intervention, community outreach
efforts and education to address health issues such as diabetes. She said it
affects the growing population of those living in the U.S. Virgin Islands who
do not have access or have barriers to health care. “We are privileged to be
able to support CERC,” she said.
“Our purpose is to
help our customers get, stay and live well,” she said. “We are committed to
developing relationships that help our neighborhoods and we believe in the
importance of giving back to the community. Walgreens also donated $2,500 to
the United Way.
Walgreens’ Corporate Operations
Vice President for Operations Charles Bernard said the Walgreens Co. has been around
for more than 100 years. “Our success stems from changing and evolving
to meet needs of customers,” he said. “Today, we are pleased and thrilled to be
here in St. Thomas to celebrate the opening of our very first Walgreens store
in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
“All of us at UVI are delighted any time we can work together with
local corporations and businesses to improve the quality of life in the
territory,” said UVI Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations
Richard Cleaver. “We’re a University for the Virgin Islands .”
For more information
on CERC and how to support its work visit the CERC website – http://cercuvi.com
– or call (340) 693-1178.
