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| Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, accepting??a cheque from Deputy Divisional General Manager of Import, Distribution and Marketing of Goddard Enterprises Ltd., Tracey Shuffler, while Permanent Secretary in the Division of Culture and Sports, Ernesta Drakes, looks on. (A.Miller/BGIS)?? |
Corporate Barbados is being encouraged to increase its sponsorship to the Community Independence Celebrations Programme, which has an annual price tag of $600,000.
This appeal came today from Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, as he accepted a cheque for $30,000 from Deputy Divisional General Manager of Import, Distribution and Marketing of Goddard Enterprises Ltd, Tracey Shuffler, who made the presentation on behalf of the company. The money will be used to offset the $45,000 bill for the official launch of the Community Independence Celebrations, which will be held this Saturday, August 25, at the Jackie Opel Amphitheatre, General Post Office, Cheapside, The City, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Mr. Lashley thanked Goddard Enterprises for increasing its sponsorship money this year. "Goddard Enterprises, which has been sponsoring this programme for quite a number of years, is so impressed by the quality of the programme that it has warranted an increase in sponsorship.
"We certainly welcome that [increase] and this show of confidence ought to inspire other corporate citizens to come on board and support what, I believe, is certainly a very, very useful programme. It has helped to develop many of our young people at the community level and because of the nature of the programme it has the national impact as well… I hope the other sponsors will follow the lead of Goddard Enterprises and similarly increase their sponsorship this year as well," he stated.
Emphasising the importance of the programme, the Minister expressed the view that it had proven very useful in rekindling and sensitising communities to the importance of Independence.?? He added: "I believe the responses we have gotten have proven that this programme has worked to bring to the community the spirit of Independence…"
Ms. Shuffler pointed out that Goddard Enterprises had increased its level of sponsorship because the programme "fits very well with the values of the Goddard group of companies, based on youth development and involvement with the community as it relates to Independence".
She said that once it could be fitted into their schedule, the parish ambassadors would get an opportunity to become familiar with the Goddard Enterprises brand and engage some of the managers.