Beauty queen opens Fitness Park & Diabetic Centre

Miss World Guyana

Just weeks before the international pageant, Miss World Guyana Vena Mookram on Sunday opened the gates to her very own Fitness Park and Diabetic Centre in Avenue A, Diamond, East Bank Demerara. This is as the local beauty queen makes good on her $8 million Beauty with a Purpose Project, titled “Sweet Vigor”, in hopes of copping the crown with this grand noble gesture. The commissioning on Sunday kicked off with a Fitness Walk at 09:00h, which saw in excess of 200 persons, comprising loved ones, teammates, activists, supporters and fans of this year’s Miss World Guyana assembling at the Diamond hospital before making their way to the Park. Their arrival was followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony after which Mookram officially declared the facilities open to the public. In attendance at the launch were the Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton along with members of several participating organisations such as the Guyana Diabetic Association and Young Leaders in Diabetes.The event also allowed for the staging of a Health Fair, during which persons were able to access various health services such as dental, optical and diabetes screening in addition to free medication made possible as a result of partnerships with Food For The Poor, the Public Health Ministry, and other entities. In addressing the gathering at the event, the reigning local 2017 queen urged persons to become physically active and eat healthier in the journey to realising a healthy nation, outlining this as one of her main objectives in launching the park. While speaking to Guyana Times, Mookram further highlighted what prompted this venture, and explained the journey from having the vision to realisation of the mission. “It was definitely not an easy process. I started out with my team and we were thinking about all the projects that we would need to do over the next few months to be able to make a difference on the international stage and we remembered that there was a proposed area for a park in Diamond. This area was covered in bushes and it was basically a dumpsite. Given that it was a proposed area for a play park, we thought we should go in to the NDC [Neighbourhood Democratic Council] and make arrangements. I am so grateful that they agreed to cooperate with me on this project.” Moreover, Mookram underlined the importance of this venture as she gears up to represent Guyana at the Miss World Pageant 2017. “For the international leg of the pageant, all the girls throw out whatever they have to offer and this is why I’m so happy that this is something that needs going all out and yes, I think I have a really good shot at winning Beauty with a Purpose at the Miss World competition this year,” she expressed, positively. After two months of tremendous efforts, the 120x200ft Fitness Park and Diabetic Centre in Diamond is open for public use and is accessible, free of cost. The Centre, which will operate on a weekly schedule, will serve the medical needs of persons within the environs, with the primary focus of preventing diabetes. As such, it will be operated by the Diabetes Association of Guyana.Following her participation in the Miss World Pageant 2017, the local queen indicated that she would return home with the aim of further developing the facilities to better cater for the needs of persons in the fight against diabetes. The Guyanese queen is set to take the international stage on November 18 as she vies for this year’s Miss World crown in China.