… Donations made to Police ‘B’ Division, Williamsburg Health Centre 

THE ten cricket teams of Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) recently launched their 2020 Christmas Outreach Programmes by making donations to several organisations across Berbice. 

Those teams, namely the Poonai U-12 and U-13, Farfan and Mendes U-15, Bakewell U-17 and Second Division, Pepsi U-19 and Intermediate, Metro Females, NAMILCO Thunderbolt U-21 and First Division teams handed over donations to the Berbice River Cricket Association, Police ‘B’ Division, Williamsburg Health Centre, St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church and the Little Angel Feeding Programme.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster who is heading the RHTYSC Christmas Programme along with his deputy Simon Naidu and Organising Secretary Rabindranauth Kissoonlall stated that this year’s edition would be the largest of its kind since the outreach programme started in 1990 – the same year that the club was founded by the St Francis Community Developers.

The teams, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, would be unable to host their annual Christmas Village in its full glory but would be distributing 1 000 food hampers, 5 000 Christmas toys, clothing, footwear and educational materials including school bags across the Ancient County.

Additionally 500 single parent households would receive a Christmas package and hundreds of senior citizens would benefit from a special Christmas breakfast. Hundreds would also receive a box of warm meal along with refreshments during a Christmas Feeding of the Poor programme.

The Berbice River Cricket Association, on request, received a donation of cricket balls and scorebooks from the RHTYSC while the Berbice ‘B’ Division of the Guyana Police Force received a donation consisting of cricket balls, batting gloves, football, batting pad, scorebooks, youth information booklets and a quantity of COVID-19 educational posters.

The Williamsburg Health Centre, which cater to newborn children in the Rose Hall Town to Albion area, benefitted from a donation of items including electric fans, toilet covers, bucket, small water dispenser, weight scale, paint, clocks and scotch tape while the Little Angel Feeding Programme, based in Albion, received a financial contribution towards providing toys to less fortunate kids.

The St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Port Mourant also benefitted from a financial contribution of $250 000 for the two projects; which the Church is undertaking in its compound.

The president of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) also used his influence to obtain a donation of white sand for the projects from a New Amsterdam-based businessman.

Foster explained that RHTYSC was quite passionate about making positive difference in the lives of others and as such, the 10 cricket teams every year are mandated to undertake a combined 320 personal developmental programmes under a wide range of sub-headings including charity, youth development, community development, educational, social, religious, anti-drugs, anti-crime and environmental.

Foster hailed the outstanding work of the teams and the executives of the club, noting that despite the eight-month long pandemic, RHTYSC was well on the way to achieve its target of 700 activities for 2020.

Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu stated that several organisations, including orphanages, cricket clubs, Berbice Umpires Association and senior citizens homes, would also receive donations over the next month.