–Over $1M in prizes up for grabs

By Tamica Garnett

IF you were expecting the whole enchilada at this year’s HJ JamZone Summer Break you would have noticed by now that it’s not happening.
Things are set to culminate this Sunday with the Beach Jam at the HJ Water World, on the East Bank Demerara, and thus far, only includes the “Dancehall Night”, featuring controversial Jamaican artiste, Alkaline, while last month there was the “Kid Zone”.
Though it was promised last year that this year’s event would be “bigger and better”, and in early July in a Facebook post that “This year we’re doing it differently; we’re turning Jamzone into a month-long celebration in August”, the series has since been scaled down, even as the affair celebrates its 16th Anniversary.
Talks with Hits and Jams Co-Director Rawle Ferguson and HJ radio host Feliz Robertson revealed that due to budgetary constraints and investments in a lot of other projects, the series of activities had to be curtailed, excluding several events including the Miss Jamzone Pageant.
Ferguson said the money just isn’t there.
“To be quite honest, we’ve had a bit of a dip in disposable income, so we decided to do about three events this year,” he said. “
“But come next year, hopefully when things pick up with disposable income and so forth, we can add back the events. But, basically, this year we just did the important ones like the Kids Zone, the Beach Day and a Danchall Night, which resonates with young people.”
TOO CUMBERRSOME
In the case of the Miss Jamzone Pageant, Robertson said it would be too cumbersome, given the scope of other projects that the company is currently undertaking.
She, too, hopes that things might pick up and be better next year.
“The Miss Jamzone Pageant this year was not feasible for us to host it,” she said. “We would have loved to, but it’s just didn’t work out in the timing that we would have hoped for, because we have so many other projects that we are working on.
“Water World is one of them, and that is taking up a lot of our time and our energy, among other things. We have the radio station that we’re still working on and doing a lot of things with; we’re reviving and revamping HJTV with new programming and all types of things, so it just wasn’t feasible this year. But we are looking to bring it back next year.”
But it was only last year that HJ also had to scale back on several activities, and back then, Ferguson’s partner, Kerwin Bollers was reported in a section of the media as promising that this year would have been “bigger and better”.
PAGEANT APART
Apart from the Pageant, the HJ JamZone Summer Break package at one point also included a “Bikers Fest”, a JamZone International Night, and even a “Black Tie Affair” and “Bollywood Night”. These features were also missing last year. Nonetheless, HJ is hoping that patrons will be appeased with those activities that are being held, and hope to see supporters come out in their number this Sunday’s Beach Jam, for which Feliz promises tickets will not be more than $2000.
Those who do decide to go support the Beach Jam can look to perhaps cash in on some of the approximately $1M in prizes that will be up for grabs.
Feliz also assured us that security will not be a problem. “There are about $1M in prizes to be won there at the Beach Jam on August 21 at HJ Water World,” she said, “so we’re hoping that people will come out and have the same level of fun, the same level of energy.
“You won’t have to worry about your vehicle; you don’t have to worry about security. We will have police officers there to protect and serve.”
Ferguson also chimed in, saying that things are expected to be off the hook.
“The excitement should be really big this year; the games, the giveaways, the money, it’s no difference. Except more games this year, and more fun,” he said.
JamZone Summer Break first began back in 2000, and is considered by many as one of the most anticipated events of the year.