THE cricket teams of Guyana’s leading youth and sports club, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTYSC), along with the Club’s Over-35 group have completed their $2.5M Christmas Charity Programme for 2009.

The teams – Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17, Pepsi Under-19, Metro Females and the First Division team, undertook the programme as part of their personal development programme which aims to get them to make a difference in the lives of their peers and the less fortunate.

The programme was launched two Sundays ago, where 120 senior citizens were given a Christmas luncheon at the J. C Chandisingh Secondary school. They also received a food hamper and special gifts worth $8 000.

On Wednesday December 16, 200 persons were provided with a healthy meal through the general feeding of the poor programme which is a weekly activity of the club, following which the teams organised a massive Christmas party for 400 less fortunate children at the Area ‘H’ ground on Friday, December 18.

The children each collected a bag of goodies including biscuits, sweets and a toy and on the following Sunday, one week after the programme was launched, the senior members of the club were given a surprise special dinner which was held at the RHTYSC Area ‘H’ head office as a thank-you gesture for their hard work during the year.

Among the other activities organised were the sharing out of 100 hampers to less fortunate families, educational materials to 60 students for the new school year and the donation of $150 000 worth of items to eight Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and schools for Christmas parties.

The sponsorship of a Christmas television programme in the Ancient County, donation of $70 000 worth of items to the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) which will be used to assist the Children of God Promise Eden Orphanage in New Amsterdam, the sponsorship of BCB 2009 Christmas cards, co-sponsorship of the Berbice Cricket Board Christmas party for 60 children and 12 food hampers for senior citizens along with the distribution of $300 000 worth of clothing to residents of Rose Hall Town were also part of the programme.

Secretary/CEO of RHTYSC Hilbert Foster praised the cricket teams and the executives of the club for their hard work during the festive season and noted that throughout its’ 20-year history, the club has organised activities each year as it strongly believes in assisting others.

The club believes that no one should go hungry, thirsty or naked during the festive season and expressed gratitude to every person and company who contributed towards the hosting of the programme especially publisher of the Kaieteur News Mr Glen Lall, who donated a large number of toys.

The club and its cricket teams would also like to express gratitude to the following: Fogarty’s, Bermudez, Bobby’s Boutique, Herdsmanston Hotel, Colgate Palmolive, Viking Cricket Club, Canada, Gavin Benn, Farfan & Mendes, June Mendes, Sterling Products, A. M. Khan, Toucan Industries, Sain Supermarket, Bakewell, Beharry’s, Ricks and Sari Ltd, Junior Williams, Tyndall Cameron, Roma Manufacturers, Ansa McAl, DDL, Guyana Beverages, Banks DIH, Derek Seetaram, S. Tulsi, Marcel Crawford, S.C, Attorney-at-Law, Kanhai Electrical Agency, J’s Supermarket, DTV-8, GT&T Cellink, Bounty Farm Ltd, Lotto, Starr Computers, the Gift Centre, H. A. Snacks, De Sinco Trading, NAMILCO, Len’s Craft, Scotiabank, Delbert Hicks, Kashif and Shanghai, Christopher Holder and Peter Lewis for their sterling contribution which made the programme a success.