The Ministry of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, yesterday received a $2.8 Million cheque from Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd to support the 2018 Pan-O-Rama Steel Pan Competitions.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that the handing over of the cheque was done in the Ministry’s boardroom, on Main Street.
The Republic Bank’s Water Street Branch Manager, Celine Davis who presented the cheque to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Melissa Tucker, said that the sponsorship is in part of the bank’s corporate responsibility to giving back to the art form of steel pan and also back to the youths who participate in the culture.
“Republic Bank is a proud to sponsor of this programme in terms of art and what it does for the youth, we are also very much interested in our youth…so with…our power to make a difference we do encourage our youth,” Davis said.
According to Mashramani Coordinator, Andrew Tyndall, this is the tenth year that the bank is sponsoring the competition. He further added, that the bank’s sponsorship is not only limited to the competition but also in the promotion and development of the art form.
Tyndall said that the donation will aid in offsetting the expenses of the competition in the area of prizes and other needs and necessities of the event. He added that a total of 13 school bands, three large bands and a number of other small groups are expected to participate in this year’s competition, competing in five categories namely the Large Band category, School Band, Pan-Jazz, Pan Duet and the Junior and Senior categories.
