As Gardner Foundation hosts massive Anniversary Sports Bonanza

A HUMANITARIAN initiative started six years ago by New York-based Guyanese, Troy Gardner to unify and find positive engagement for the children of Back Circle, West Ruimveldt, has seen positive results. Six years later, they are celebrating with a grand sports bonanza. The event, which is being held today, will include competition in various categories and trophies and medals will be up for grabs.

The Back Circle Foundation was born in August 2012, by a young Gardener visiting home from abroad, who made the observation that, “To have nothing to do and all day to do it can be a pretty bad situation in which to find one’s self, and particularly so for youth, especially since there’s an old adage which says: “The devil finds work for idle hands.”

Making a cursory assessment of the situation in the fast-growing community of ‘Back Circle’ West Ruimveldt, from which he hailed, Gardner, now 40, and having lived abroad for more than half his lifetime, came up with the idea of introducing some sort of positive engagement for the children of the growing community during the August holidays.

Reflecting on how the idea of the foundation was birthed for the children, Gardner told the Pepperpot Magazine, “I was at home on vacation and it being summer, the children of Back Circle were at home too. And, as I looked around I would see all these kids during summer time with nothing to and nothing to look forward to.

“I was moved to compassion and said to myself there must be something I could do for them, especially since I was born and raised in Back Circle. This would be an opportunity for me to give back something to the kids and keep them out of trouble.”

Gardner said initially he was faced with some trepidation but discussed the idea with his aunt, Debra Gardner and cousins, Sonia Edinboro and Nicholai Thomas, who are living in Guyana and they were all enthusiastic about the idea.

Doing a brief survey, he learned that there were lots of young people with talents which were not being put to use and needed to be honed, particularly in the field of sports, such as football, cricket and volleyball. And chances are, he said, with honing some of them can look forward to pursuing careers in sports.

Knowing children to have a liking for sports, he used it as a platform to jumpstart the initiative, and together with his aunt and two cousins set about mobilising and galvanising the children of the community for action.

It was in the summer of 2012 that they began with ball games and played friendly matches, much to the excitement of the children. There was always food galore, and the young people were given prizes and other incentives for good performance. Many were moved to the point of tears on receiving their gifts.

“Additionally, we ensured everyone was adequately fed, serving something different every hour on the hour, so they were energised and went back to the games, bubbling with excitement, ‘rearing and ready to go’,” Gardner now recalls. And credits go out to the group’s volunteer Chef, Abiola Holland who continues to serve in that capacity every year for the last six years.

Gardner said that whenever they met, they would instill within the youths, a sense of pride in themselves; value for education; always stressing the importance of living within the law. “We also taught them to have respect for each other and to do only things that would make them feel good about themselves and make their parents proud.”

In August 2013, the distribution of school back-packs was introduced, but because he was doing it ‘out-of-pocket’ he could not manage to do the distribution each year. By the summer of 2016, Gardner and his volunteers organised the first massive Sports Jamboree – an event to remember, on the lawns of Back Circle, attracting a massive turnout.

“It was a huge success – We catered for 300 kids and got much more – even from surrounding areas, but kids will be kids and so we were happy to have them anyway and ensured everybody was well fed,” he said.

Over the years that relationship has grown and both the youth and their parents have continued to show appreciation for what has now become “The Back Circle Foundation”, constantly reaching out to the children.

Excited, and equally amazed at what he has been able to achieve in a few short years, Gardner, in high spirits, said, “And this year, on Sunday, August 12, we will be celebrating our sixth anniversary with a massive Jamboree at the Back Circle, under the theme ‘Fun in the Circle.’ All systems are in place for a fantastic day of fun and games.”

For next summer, the Foundation plans to hold a series of workshops for its teenagers, with the support of the Private Sector and Ministries of Public Health and Public Security. Topics to be addressed include Anger Management; Conflict Resolution; Law and Order; HIV/AIDS, Obesity and its consequences; Career Guidance and Eating Disorders.

Gardner is now throwing out a challenge to other Guyanese – both at home and elsewhere, to come on board, so as to help equip the children for school and moreso, motivate them to attend school. Interested persons may call: Troy Garret on 914-473-8001; Sonia Edinboro on 658-9834; Nickelhi Thomas 695-2780; or Abiola Holland on 223-6607.