RHTY&SC/BCB Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund donate to GCA and ECB
The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), in collaboration with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)and the Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund, on Thursday continued their assistance to youth cricketers across Guyana by donating four bicycles each to the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB).
The two organisations also received a combined total of 24 school bags as part of the RHTY&SC’s “Say Yes to Education” programme.
BCB President and RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, at a simple presentation ceremony held at the world famous Bourda Cricket Ground, declared that the club, with cooperation from the BCB, had established the Fund in early 2020 in tribute to the legendary West Indies middle order batsman. After a long illness, Butcher died in the United States in December 2019, and was buried in his home village of Port Mourant on the Corentyne.
Esuan Crandon handing over the donation to Atto Christiani of the ECB
Last year, the 11 cricket teams of the club distributed millions of dollars’ worth of cycles, cricket gear, uniforms, clothing, footwear, food hampers, office materials and educational grants to less fortunate youths, public institutions, churches, and sports organisations across the country of Berbice in memory of Basil Butcher.
The 2021 edition of this Fund was launched several weeks ago, and recently donated four bicycles to youths in Linden, where Butcher lived for most of his life after retiring from cricket in 1969.
Foster, who is also Vice President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and is a CWI Director, has said many youths are unable to attend cricket practice or school, as their parents are unable to stand the cost of transportation. In this regard, the Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund is seeking to assist as much as possible.
This Fund is aiming in 2021 to share out one million dollars’ worth of bicycles, and would also be placing special emphasis on promoting the importance of education.
As BCB President, Foster is calling on the youths to take proper care of the bicycles, and has committed the two organisations to providing even more assistance in the future.
Four youths from the GCA posing with their bicycles after the presentation
He reminded the youths of the importance of having a good education, and the need to be disciplined at all times. Foster also committed to working along with the executives of the Essequibo Cricket Board, in his capacity as Chairman of the GCB Cricket Development Committee, to lift the standard of cricket in Essequibo.
National Coach Esuan Crandon, a longstanding member of the RHTY&SC, handed over the donations to Shaun Massiah and Atto Christiani of the GCB and ECB respectively, and both organisations expressed gratitude for the timely gesture.
The Late Basil Butcher had played 44 Test matches for the West Indies between 1958 and 1969, and had been widely considered to be one of the best batsmen Guyana has produced. He scored 3104 runs at an average of 43.11, and registered seven centuries and sixteen half-centuries.
