Return to Paradies Charity
Our Key Community Initiatives
Giving Back to the Community
At Return to Paradise Resort we believe that when you’ve been richly blessed, you have a responsibility to give back.
Our beach, mineral springs, forest, coral gardens, tropical fish and lush gardens are gifts we never take for granted. On top of that, we’re surrounded by a wonderful family of staff and the most generous guests from all around the world.
Since opening in 2014, together with our guests and partners we have raised and donated over WST $3 million in cash, goods and services to support education, health, sports and community projects in Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand.
This is our way of saying “thank you” and we invite you to be part of it.
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Talalelei Life Futures Fund
Talalelei (“The Good News”) was a much-loved Activities Director at Return to Paradise Resort. In 2018, he lost his life while heroically saving a guest who had got into difficulty in the surf.
In his honour, our guests and friends established the Talalelei Memorial Scholarship Fund. Every year, the fund provides four tertiary scholarships to top graduates from our two local high schools.
Guests can:
- Sponsor a specific student
- Attend their graduation
- Stay in touch and see the impact of their support first-hand
Village Medical Fund
Once a week, we invite guests to enjoy a Gold Class movie night in our beautiful Gary Cooper Lounge, watching the classic Return to Paradise film shot on our beach.
- The movie is free to watch
- Guests are invited to make a donation
- The Resort matches / doubles the total amount donated
These funds go directly towards medical needs in our village, including:
- Hospital bills
- Doctor’s visits
- Medicines and dressings
- Baby care for newborns
Local Primary School Education Fund
On another day each week, guests are invited on a walking tour of the village, learning about:
- The Samoan way of life (fa’a Samoa)
- Local history and culture
- Sites connected to the Return to Paradise movie
The tour finishes at the local village primary school, where the children sing for our guests – always a highlight. Many guests then choose to support the school, and we help coordinate this support.
Donations have included:
- Computers and laptops
- Reading books and teaching materials
- Paints, crayons, pencils and stationery
Supporting Samoan Sports
Rugby – Lakapi Samoa
Return to Paradise Resort is proud to be the accommodation sponsor for Lakapi Samoa, regularly hosting Manu Samoa, Manusina and the Samoa Sevens teams. They use our gym and facilities to train, recover and prepare for international competition, and we are honoured to support them on the world stage.
Rugby League – Toa Samoa
We are also a preferred boot camp base for Toa Samoa, providing accommodation, meals and access to our facilities. When Toa Samoa reached the Rugby League World Cup finals, the team returned to Samoa and spent a week with us as part of their thank-you tour to the nation.
Mixed Martial Arts – Asomua Saili
Our commitment to sport extends to MMA, proudly sponsoring local fighter Asomua Saili to compete at the 2024 GAMMA World Championships in Jakarta, where he won a bronze medal for Samoa. Read more about Asomua’s journey.
Spinal Injuries in the Pacific
Spinal injuries are life-changing anywhere – and in poorer countries, the challenges are far greater. Together with our guests and partners, Return to Paradise has helped raise almost WST $2 million for spinal injury support in Samoa and Fiji, and spinal research in New Zealand.
These funds have been raised through events supported by sporting greats and well-known personalities such as Richie McCaw, Eric Rush, Kieran Read, Sir Graham Henry, Tawera Nikau, Temuera Morrison and many others.
The money helps families care for loved ones with spinal injuries at home – from groceries and medical consumables to home modifications, transport and essential equipment like wheelchairs, proper beds and dressings. Our aim is to remind them they are not alone and to help lighten their load.
All funds are carefully managed and distributed by the Pacific Disability Support Trust, whose trustees include Dr Raj Singhal, Chief Spinal Surgeon at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch.
If you would like to contribute, you can:
- Email ramona@returntoparadiseresort.com
- Contact Trustee Andrew Hall at Andrew.Hall@nzspinaltrust.org.nz
Other Sponsorships & Charity Partners
Lifeline in the Pacific
Lifeline provides critical support to people at their lowest point – with around 50% of all calls being suicide-related. Every year, Return to Paradise partners with former Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau to sponsor a major fundraising gala in Suva, raising essential funds for Lifeline Fiji and their life-saving work.
Village Sport Sponsorship
Samoan athletes light up the world stage in Rugby, Rugby League and many other sports. That journey begins in the villages of Samoa. In our district of Lefaga, we support grass-roots sport by helping seven villages with:
- Rugby – sponsorship money, uniforms, referees, equipment and transport to games
- Volleyball – prizes, uniforms, equipment
- Boxing – transport to bouts, uniforms, equipment
By investing at village level, we help create opportunity, discipline and hope for young people.
Charity Partners Worldwide
Even when we’re not able to donate cash, we do our best to help. One of the most effective ways we can support charities is by donating accommodation packages that can be raffled or auctioned at fundraising events – often paired with generous flight packages from airlines serving Samoa.
Since 2014, over WST $400,000 has been raised for charities through our donated auction packages, supporting organisations such as:
- NZ Paralympic Sailing – donated auction prizes
- Henderson Rotary Club (Auckland) – donated auction prizes
- Samoa Cancer Society – donated auction prizes
- Hospice Totara Lunches (NZ) – donated auction prizes
- Samoa Victim Support Trust
- Melbourne Rotary Club – donated auction prizes
- Sydney Animal Shelter – donated auction prizes
- Westpac Rescue Helicopter (Auckland) – donated auction prizes
- Multiple Sclerosis (Auckland) – donated auction prizes
- Gastro-Intestinal Cancer Institute (Auckland) – donated auction prizes
- Lifeline Fiji – donated auction prizes and major sponsorship
- Starsearch Samoa – prize winner packages
- Rotary Club of Samoa – donated auction prizes
- Para-sailing for South Pacific Games – donated auction prizes
- Melinda Ferszt’s Medical Treatment
We are deeply grateful to our partners and guests who make this support possible.
How you can help
The best way to help us keep giving back is simply to:
- Stay with us for your holidays, conferences, weddings, family reunions and birthdays, and
- Join in our movie nights, village tours and special events that raise funds for these causes.
You can also:
- Contact the charities above directly, or
- Email ramona@returntoparadiseresort.com if you’d like to support a specific project or learn more.
From all of us at Return to Paradise Resort, fa’afetai tele lava – thank you. With your generosity, we can continue to reach out to our community and say “thank you” by giving back.
