Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, has appealed to Barbadians to stage their own ???community-style Independence celebrations???.

He made this call during the 2014 Sagicor Life Inc. Lighting Ceremony press briefing, held on Monday in the Executive Board Room at Sagicor, Wildey.

???I believe at the community level we can do quite a bit in terms of staging lighting ceremonies??? I think the importance of celebrating our Independence is such that we should have as much involvement from the communities as possible,??? he said.

Minister Lashley also encouraged Barbadians and community groups to attend the Sagicor Life Inc. Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 1, in National Heroes Square, at 5:30 p.m.

Praising the company for ???consistently supporting this very important programme???, he stressed that the financial contribution of $25,000 helped to stage a quality production annually.

???We could not attempt to do the Lighting Ceremony each year without the partnership between the Ministry, Sagicor and key government agencies. I believe each Barbadian looks forward to the Lighting Ceremony, as it has emerged to be one of the highlights of our Independence celebrations, and this year will be no different,??? the Culture Minister reasoned, adding that the event was now in its 19th year.

Assistant Vice-President – Marketing at Sagicor Life Inc., Tracey Knight-Lloyd, also called on communities and businesses to ???work together to illuminate Barbados in a breath-taking display of national pride???.

Describing the 2014 Community Independence Celebrations??? theme: Uniting a Nation, One Community at a Time, as ???an inspiring challenge to all Barbadians???, she stressed: ???I want to encourage everyone to look beyond their own backyards and join with their neighbours to engender both brotherhood and national pride. If we are to be a truly unified nation and weather any social storms that come our way, it is important for us to work together.???

The Sagicor Life Inc. Lighting Ceremony will feature performances from Blood and Mikey, RPB, Cassius Clay, Kieshelle Rawlins, Kelly Cadogan, Gordon Greenidge Primary School, Hazel Charles, as well as parish zone teams.??Marseta Walcott, an outstanding parish contributor from Christ Church, will flick the switch to illuminate the nation at the event.

shamkoe.pile@barbados.gov.bb

Author: Shamkoe Pil??

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