After the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish’s lucky draw for $505,000 in 2016, they have taken on the initiative to help children, communities and the country, as was promised.
In 2016 the club was presented with a cheque. The funds were geared towards improving the lives of children.
Fifty percent of the funds were raised by an international collaboration between two clubs, the Kiwanis Club of Brighton (Western New York) and the Garden Parish, Ocho Rios. Another fifty percent was generated by a raffle sponsored by Jewel Resorts Jamaica – Paradise Cove, Dunn’s River and Runaway Bay — as well as Mystic Mountain, Dolphin Cove, Chukka Adventure Tours and Urban Development Corporation. Air fares were also covered by these sponsors.
The club had channeled a portion of the money towards constructing a sick bay at the Breadnut Hill Basic School, near Ocho Rios in St Ann. The school was gifted with a sick bay furnished with a bed, fan, flooring and a number of toiletries on Monday, February 6. Much needed painting of the walls was also done, prior to Monday.
The school which has two teachers and a cook, and 21 students on roll, welcomed the kindhearted Kiwanians who had gone there to make the presentations on Monday.
Principal of the school, Alice Thomas is thankful that the school’s needs were recognized. She said the school has been having a number of issues, since its establishment six years ago and that the club saw the need and reached out to them. “My heart is overwhelmed, God has sent help in time for us,” she said.
Additionally, the club had on its agenda, plans to implement parenting and education billboards with some of the money received. Arrangements are being made to put up these signs in short order.
The Kiwanis Club of Brighton benefitted from the venture and they will be upgrading a playground in their area to facilitate children with disabilities.
The club while undertaking these projects, is guided by the theme, “Preserving the legacy, sustaining the future for our children.”
The outreach team from the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish included: division 24 lieutenant governor, Richard Austin; president, Audrey Grant; immediate past president, Angella Strudwick; past president, Lorna Morrison; secretary, Leteacher Ennis; treasurer Eva Myers; directors, Marjorie Carter, Eileen Alridge and Marjorie Robinson; and Kiwanian, Hermine McKenzie Jones. Director Fiona James was also instrumental in the execution of this project.
Kiwanis photo captions
- 040-THANK YOU. These students shout a big thank you to the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish
- 007-Kiwanians join with students and staff of the school for a photograph in the newly furnished sick bay.
- 021- Members of staff at the Breadnut Hill Basic School, (from left) teacher of classes 1 and 2, Valda Thompson; principal, Alice Thomas; and cook, Kerrian Coombs
- 041- A section of a classroom which was repainted
- The KC Garden Parish past president Eva Myers, handing over the cheque to the current president, C. Angela Strudwick, and president designate, Audrey Sutherland-Grant, in 2016.
