THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and Berbice Cricket Board Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund on Thursday, jointly continued their assistance to youth cricketers across Guyana by donating four bicycles each to the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and the Essequibo Cricket Board ECB). The two organisations also received a combined 24 school bags as part of the R(HTYSC’s Say Yes to Education Programme.
BCB president and RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, at a simple presentation at the world famous Bourda Cricket ground, stated that the club, with the cooperation of BCB established the Fund in tribute to the legendary West Indies middle-order batsman in early 2020.
Butcher died in the United States after a long illness in December of 2019 and was buried in his home village of Port Mourant.
Last year , the 11 cricket teams of the club distributed millions of dollars worth of cycles, cricket gear, uniforms, clothing, footwear, food hampers, office materials and educational grants to less fortunate youths, public institutions, churches and sports organisations across the country in memory of Butcher.
The 2021 edition was launched several weeks ago and recently donated 4 cycles to youths in Linden, where Butcher lived for most of his life after his Test retirement in 1969.
Foster, who is also a vice-president of Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and a CWI Director stated that many youths are unable to attend cricket practice or school, as their parents are unable to stand the cost of transportation and as such the Fund was seeking to assist as much as possible.
The Basil Butcher Trust Fund in 2021 is aiming to share out $1M worth of bicycles and would also be placing special emphasis on promoting the importance of education. The BCB president called on the youths to take proper care of the cycles and committed the two organisations to assisting even more in the future.
He reminded the youths of the importance of having an educational background and the need to be disciplined at all times. Foster also committed to working along with the executives of the ECB to lift the standard of cricket in Essequibo in his capacity of Chairman of the GCB Cricket Development Committee.
National coach Esaun Crandon, a long-standing member of RHTYSC handed over the donations to Shaun Massiah and Atto Christani of the GCB and the ECB respectively. Both organisations expressed gratitude for the timely gesture .
The late Basil Butcher played 44 Test matches for the West Indies between 1958 and 1969 and is widely considered one of the best batsmen from Guyana. He scored 3 104 runs at an average of 43.11 and scored 7 centuries and 16 half-centuries.
