5 RHTY&SC members benefit from $100,000 worth of bicycles

RHTY&SC, MS/Denise Leow- Babb Memorial Programme 2021

– club pays tribute to late Vice President

“Denise Leow-Babb was the first female elected to the position of Vice President of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), and she served with distinction for over five years. Denise was the person who spearheaded the formation of our female section, and was responsible for our involvement in female cricket.
“She was not only an outstanding administrator, but also a role model and mentor to every one of our females. The success we enjoy today with our female cricketers is because of her, and the least we can do is to pay tribute to her memory.”

Those were the words of RHTY&SC Organising Secretary Ravindranauth Kissoonlall as the club launched the first edition of the Denise Leow Babb Memorial Programme on Tuesday last at the Area H Ground.
Five under-19 players from the RHTY&SC membership each received a bicycle under the programme, which was sponsored by the club and the children of the late Vice President.
Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster has said that the club decided to honour Mrs Babb because she was not only an inspiration to her fellow administrators, but was the reason why the RHTY&SC invested heavily in female cricket back in 2008.
Because of her vision and hard work, the RHTY&SC has produced four West Indies senior players along with dozens of Berbice and Guyana players. They include Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Marian Samaroo, Dian Prahalad, Plaffiana Millington, Meliane Henry, Oma Matadin, Jackie Singh and Sherika Campbelle.
Foster has said that Babb, who died overseas last year December after a long illness, played a major role in the development of the club’s Say No and Say Yes Programme, and was also spearhead of the personal development project which allows cricketers to give back to those less fortunate than them.
The cricketers who benefited from the $100,000 worth of cycles were Tyrone Hooper, Dharsanie Subramanie, Komalchand Ramnarance, Tyrell Hutson and Jeremaih Felix. They were selected based on their personal discipline, dedication to club activities, and family’s financial income.
Foster told the attentive youths and their parents that the RHTY&SC strongly believes in investing in its members, as the main objective is to make sure that they succeed not only on the cricket field, but in life as well.
He spoke broadly on the importance of education and personal discipline, while urging his audience to say no to crime, drugs and alcohol. He also disclosed that in 2021, the club would be distributing close to one million dollars’ worth of cycles to less fortunate youths across Guyana in an effort to assist them to attend school and cricket practice.
Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu stated that the club, over the course of the next week, would be hosting several programmes as part of its 31st Annual Awards Ceremony. He disclosed that due to the COVID-19 guidelines which are in place, the club would be unable to host a large gathering, and as such, several smaller events would be hosted.
Among the other activities to be hosted shortly would be the Tribute to Medical Workers, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Basil Butcher Trust Fund, Tribute to Heroes, and Tribute to Outstanding Teachers.
A much smaller Awards Ceremony would be hosted on the 16th of May to honour outstanding long-serving members who have contributed to the club’s success over the last 31 years. Naidu expressed gratitude to the seven children of the late Vice President for their support of the programme, and reassured them that the club would continue to work hard every day to keep their mother’s legacy alive.
Jeremiah Felix, speaking on behalf of the players, thanked the club and the Babb family for the donation of the cycles. He said that joining the club was one of his best decisions as it had assisted him to stay away from the evil world of Satan and has assisted him to focus on the positives in life.