HUNDREDS of children attending primary and secondary schools across the Essequibo Coast, in Pomeroon and the Lake areas, dressed in dazzling and colourful costumes lit up the commercial centre of Anna Regina township with their annual Mashramani Road Show yesterday. Accompanied by teachers and members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), they set the stage for celebrations in Region 2 (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) today.
Dancing and enjoying themselves with music blaring from huge speaker boxes mounted on canter trucks, the procession drew large crowds, who lined both sides of the public road to watch them doing their own Mash jump-up in an atmosphere of revelry.
The event, organised by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Regional Administration, is part of the Mash programme every year.
The participants started off walking from the Department of Education Office at Cotton Field and moved slowly along to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, where they were also joined by their parents.
Each participating school was identified by its respective banner.
Meanwhile, the Regional Administration will start its activities with a flag-raising ceremony at 07:30 hrs on the tarmac in Anna Regina Fire Station compound.
A release from the Administrative Office said Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Ganga Persaud will deliver the feature address and inspect a guard of honour before the Golden Arrowhead is hoisted.
The release said a float parade, to be followed by reveling, will begin at 10:00 hrs. Floats will move from Three Friends bridge, in the South and proceed, along the public road, to Anna Regina Community Centre ground, where a grand Mash celebration will include a cultural display.
Floats will be from the New Opportunity Corps, (NOC), Department of Health, Business Company Basdeo Man-Man, Education Department, Regional Administration, Lima Sands and Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI).
The Regional Administration will be awarding prizes for the best showing and thousands are expected to be on hand for the occasion.