The GGYA special event committee (rear) recently hosted a special gala fundraising dinner with royalty. Pictured in front (l-r) are Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Edward, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and His Excellency the Governor-General Sir Arthur and Lady Foulkes.
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Nassau, The Bahamas - The Governor-General’s Youth Award recently hosted a
gala fundraising dinner in the presence of His Excellency the
Governor-General Sir Arthur and Lady Foulkes, in celebration of the
visit of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Edward, The Earl
and Countess of Wessex.
The
evening was made possible through generous sponsorship by Bahamas First
Insurance Company Limited, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Oakes, and was held
at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. Also in attendance were the
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Honourable Charles Maynard,
MP and Mrs. Maynard.
The guests were given an
evening to remember, starting with a dazzling array of hors d’oeuvres
and ice carvings, the work of chef Kabuti Lockhart and his talented team
at the Hilton. Background music was provided by the Royal Bahamas
Defence Force Band, as guests mixed and mingled and met with Their
Excellencies and Their Royal Highnesses before dinner.
The
Bahamas National Youth Choir, under the Directorship of Cleophas
Adderley, gave a lively, exciting and interactive performance to the
delight of the guests. The dinner service featured four extraordinary
courses, showcasing the world class skills of chef Lockhart. The evening
closed with speeches by His Excellency Sir Arthur Foulkes and also His
Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex, who as an international trustee of
the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme, of which the GGYA is a member
of the National Award Authority, was able to give the guests insight as
to the benefits of supporting this valuable youth programme here in The
Bahamas.
The funds
raised from the dinner will directly benefit the GGYA and will assist
with the collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture,
known as the Gold Initiative, which aims to implement the programme in
every school and youth group throughout the Bahamas, raising
participation levels to over 2,500.
Chairman
of the Board of Trustees, Sir Orville Turnquest, thanked Bahamas First
Insurance Company and its CEO Mr. Patrick Ward, for committing to
support of the GGYA, and he expressed his hope that this collaboration
would continue with other projects that involved the young and upcoming
employees of Bahamas First working together with participants of the
GGYA to share knowledge, skills and encouragement.