Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund… RHTY&SC cricket teams host successful 7th edition of programme

The memory of the legendary Basil Fitzpatrick Butcher who died in December 2019 in the United States of America continues to be kept alive by the cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC). The teams, over the past two months, have distributed items valued over $5 million to youth, churches, fellow sport clubs and schools across Berbice and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the seventh edition of the RHTY&SC Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund. The Trust Fund was organised with the assistance of numerous friends of the five-time Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Club of the Year awardee and a friend of the family.
The teams – Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under- 17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro Females and NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Under-21 and First Division – started the Memorial Trust Fund in 2020 with the support and blessings of Butcher’s family, including his wife Pamela and children. Over the years, hundreds of youths have benefited from donations of sport gear, educational materials, uniforms, household items, bicycles, electronic gadgets and food hampers, etc.

This year’s edition was organised under the supervision of Club Secretary Hilbert Foster, Organising Secretary Keith Hicks and Cricket Manager Robby Kissoonlall and included the distribution of close to 1000 school bags with educational materials to students at the primary and secondary levels. The materials included hardcover school books, other exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and rulers. The cricket teams also distributed a total of 22 cycles across Berbice with the main aim of assisting students to attend school or cricket practice. A total of 19 electronic tablets and 11 personal laptop computers were also distributed to youths across the county while the RHTY&SC cricket teams organised several other activities. They included the Droupattie Ramsammy Tribute to Students, Heeralall Seenerine Memorial Tribute to Teachers, Tribute to Medical Workers, Tribute to Medical Doctors, Tribute to Fathers, Tribute to Mothers, Francois Crutley Grade 6 Summer Camp and the annual cricket academy.
Several churches and schools also benefited from the donation of food hampers, trophies, medals, sport equipment and educational materials including the St Francis Roman Catholic Youth Club, Rose Hall Town Nursery School, Rose Hall Town Primary School, St Agnes Anglican Church, Berbice Cricket Board, Scottsburg Cricket Club, Guyana Fire Service Rose Hall Branch, Port Mourant Public Hospital and the Beyonce Ross Memorial Athletics Committee. The St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church received over $200,000 worth of items including a cycle, 30 school bags, educational materials and 10 special gifts for a quiz competition during the Vocational Bible Studies. The Berbice Cricket Board received a collection of trophies while numerous schools received trophies, framed certificates, and medals for their graduation ceremonies.
Organising Cricket Manager Kissoonlall stated that the value of all the items distributed under the 2026 edition of the Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund was about $5 million. He stated that the Club was privileged to honour Butcher, a close friend to the RHTY&SC for over 20 years. He noted that the legendary West Indies middle-order batsman was a hero and mentor to many members. Butcher, he said, was always available to offer words of wisdom to all the youth in the club. Organising Secretary Hicks urged the youths and organisations who benefited to take care of the different items, especially the laptop computers, electronic tablets, bicycles, tricycles, school bags, household utensils and sport gear.
Butcher, who died at the age of 86, played 44 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven centuries and 16 half-centuries between 1958 and 1969. He took five Test wickets and was also a very solid performer for Guyana and Berbice with the bat. Butcher also served as a cricket manager and selector at the West Indies level after his retirement.
The RHTY&SC since its formation in 1990 has been one of the leading cricket clubs in Guyana with 134 championship titles while producing 133 players for Berbice, 76 for Guyana, and 13 for the international level.
The club wished to express gratitude to all of its donors who made the 2026 Basil Butcher Trust Fund a success especially King’s Jewellery World, National Hardware, Lennox Cush, Jamie McDonald, Beepat’s, Republic Bank, Comfort Sleep, Faizal Jaffarally, NAMILCO, HA Snacks Co Ltd, Ricks and Sari Ltd, Trendsetter Tours, GNNL, Skeldon Energy, Global Visa, Beacon Cafe, Kevin Brijaddor, Jolen Lewis Styles, Trim Construction, Aubrey David, Ministry of Housing, Housing Minister Collin Croal, Junior Sport Minister Steven Jacobs, The National Assembly, Canadian Surplus, GUYBIZ, Premcorp Consultancy Services, Data Technology, Delmur Shipping, Trophy Stall, Panthera Solutions, Bakewell, KSM Investments, ARMCO Construction, Metro Office Supplies, DDL and parliamentarian Zamal Hussain.