– Christmas Village described as outstanding success
RHTY&SC’s Sohan Harry making a donation to the Port Mourant Public Hospital
The 30th annual Christmas Outreach Programme of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS, which concluded on Boxing Day, has been described as the largest of its kind for the club.
The main objective of the programme, which started on the first of September, was to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate.
The sixth annual Rose Hall Town Christmas Village was hosted from the 22nd to 24th December in the compound of the Rose Hall Primary School, and was described by the Management of the club as an outstanding success.
Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that every member of the Club’s management and ten cricket teams worked beyond the call of duty to make the events a success. The ten teams- Poonai Pharmacy Under 12 and 13, Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and Second Division, Metro Females, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermediate along with the Namilco Thunderbolt Flour First Division and Under 21, were responsible for the outreach programme. The teams achieved all of their objectives with the distribution of 1000 food hampers, 5000 Christmas toys, 500 special Christmas packages and 300 Christmas breakfasts; while schoolbags, footwear, clothing and educational materials were shared out as well.
Donation of toys to the Camal Children Home
Foster expressed satisfaction at the overall success of the programme, which was well supported by local and overseas-based friends of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation. The teams supported a wide range of churches, NGOs and cricket clubs with donations of special Christmas gifts, toys, educational materials and food hampers.
Among the churches which benefited were the St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, St. Agnes Anglican Church, Rose Hall Town Wesleyan Church, Maranatha Faith Ministries, RHT Kali Temple, Deeper Life Assembly, Elohim Adventist, Living Water Assembly; while the Blairmont, Achievers, Paradise, Rose Hall Canje, Edinburgh, Port Mourant, Whim, Albion, Tucber Park and Bush Lot Rising Star cricket clubs were among 25 clubs to receive food hampers.
Non-governmental organisations that also benefited included Dream for Kids, Little Angel Feeding Programme, while the Berbice Police Force B Division, Williamsburg Health Centre, Port Mourant Hospital, Alpha Children Home, Canaan Orphanage, Camal Children Home, Berbice River Cricket Association also received donations.
The St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church received a financial contribution along with food hampers and toys, while club members also received a Christmas breakfast and a special Christmas package.
The ten teams also co-sponsored a female football tournament on the East Bank of Demerara, and donated Christmas gifts to the St. Agnes Anglican Church.
All members of the club received a food hamper, while several players received cricket gears to assist in their development. The teams also fulfilled the wishes of dozens of less fortunate kids who specially requested toys, and made special donations to the children of the No 65 Squatting area.
Meanwhile, hundreds of families visited the sixth annual Christmas Village and enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The village was held under very strict COVID-19 guidelines and received permission from the National COVID-19 Task Force. The main attraction at the 2020 Christmas Village included the Nativity Scene, a 20-foot Christmas Tree, Christmas Chimney, Christmas Star, Children’s Toy Houses, The Nero Sisters Children’s Home, Family Bridge, numerous inflatable Christmas characters and children’s games.
The teams handed out holiday bags and educational materials to children on the first two nights of the ‘village’, which over the last six years, has developed into Berbice’s most popular Christmas event. RHTY&SC Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu expressed gratitude to the numerous individuals and companies who supported the Outreach Programme and Christmas Village. They include KSM Investment, Ministry of Natural Resources, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Namilco, DDL, Panthera’s Solutions, De Sinco Trading, Bounty Farm Ltd, Office of the Prime Minister, Toucan Industries, GNNL, Nand Persaud & Co. Ltd, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr. Puran Singh, HA Snacks, The Gift Centre, John Lewis Styles, Andana Homes, Lomenzao Johnny family among others.
Among the cricketers of the RHTY&SC, MS are Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Kevin Sinclair, Clinton Pestano, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Erva Giddings, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Jonathan Rampersaud and Delbert Hicks.
