Plans by the 12 cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club to make a positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate during the upcoming Christmas season received a major boost when several donors and sponsors came on board.
The teams will host 12 different activities from December 1 to 24, including the distribution of 1000 food hampers, 7000 toys, 1000 Christmas breakfast, educational materials, cycles and special festive season packages to single parent households.
The club will also host the seventh edition of its popular Christmas Village under very strict COVID-19 guidelines.
Last week, the club received financial assistance from major donors, West Indies player Shimron Hetmyer and his wife Nirvani, Bakewell, KSM Inc., and Navin and Sons Construction.
The teams have also received assistance from several overseas friends as they prepare for the festive season.
Club Secretary Hilbert Foster said preparations for the 32nd charity programme has been very difficult as the cost of grocery and toys have sky rocketed over the last few months due to the worldwide shipping problem.
He, however, committed the club and its teams to assisting as much as possible.
The Hetmyers handed a very significant contribution to the club which would almost cover the cost of the food hampers project while KSM Inc., and Bakewell contributed a combined $500,000 which was used to purchase toys from China Trading.
Bakewell also contributed $100,000 worth of inflatable characters towards the Christmas Village while Navin and Sons contributed financially towards the toys drive. Overseas-based Raj Bharrat, of the Florida Guyana Hope NGO, also contributed financially along with overseas based medical doctors Puran Singh and Tulsi Dyal Singh.
Foster thanked Hetmyer for his contribution and hailed him for his support of charity causes and also the development of cricket in the Ancient County.
Thanks, were also extended to Mahadeo Panchu of KSM Inc., Rajin Ganga of Bakewell and Navin Deokissoon of Navin and Sons.
He disclosed that the club has been able to clinch a sponsorship deal to assist hundreds of less fortunate students with educational materials while several others will receive bicycles.
The club will assist several Non-Government Organisations with food hampers and toys across the county. Donations should be made to the St. Mary Anglican Church and St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church along with several orphanages.
The club is also sponsoring a Christmas Concert and a feeding programme at St Francis, which played a major part in its formation in 1990.
