The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) started its 2011 Charity Programme on Thursday with a donation of clothing and sport gear valued $130,000 to the Alpha Children Home, East Bank Berbice.
The presentation launched the Berbice Cricket Board calendar of activities for the year. In his address at the ceremony Chairman of the BCB Special Events Committee Hilbert Foster said the Board has transformed itself into a progressive NGO aimed at improving the lives of needy persons while at the same time fulfilling its cricket mandate. During the year the BCB will be involved in a total of 20 programmes directed for children and the elderly, which will cost 1.5M.
The Board also plans to make donations to the senior citizens homes, provide newborn baby kits to the New Amsterdam Hospital along with hampers for senior citizens, the Berbice Senior Players Charity Programme, feed the poor programme and provide donations to NGOs in Berbice.
All Berbice inter-county cricket teams would also be mandated to be involved in one charity project as part of their personal development programme. Foster also said that this year the committee would be involved in 20 charity programmes: 10 education programmes, 30 cricketing programmes, 15 award ceremonies and social events honouring heroes.
Esther Bruyning, representative of the Alpha Children’s Home said she was grateful to the BCB for the donation and hailed it as a role model organisation which others should emulate. She noted that the BCB had assisted the home in the past and assured them that the donation would be used for its intended purpose.
The BCB said it was grateful to the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for their continued support of its charity programme.
