Over 700 programmes and activities achieved for the first time 2017 was a success for RHTY&SC

Jan 12, 2018 Sports

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When the Executive Committee of Guyana’s leading youth and Sports Organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) MS met in early December 2016, it set itself a target of 500 programmes/activities for 2017.
Members agreed it was an ambitious target that would require hard work and coordination. But on September 1, 2017 that target was surpassed when the Corentyne, Berbice club and its ten cricket teams hosted an Evening of Music for residents of Guyana’s smallest Town.
Long serving Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster described 2017 as a year of unbelievable success and the most successful one in the Club’s 27-year history. Huge successes were achieved on and off the cricket field and Foster hailed the outstanding contribution of every executive member, Patron of the Club, His Excellency President David Granger and all members.
The year ended with the club successfully completing a mammoth 712 programmes/activities.
A total of 22 members represented Berbice, Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President’s XI and Guyana at different levels, while Erva Giddings and Shemaine Campbelle played for the West Indies Women’s team.
Campbelle and Giddings along with Mahendra Gopilall, Kevlon Anderson, Keith Simpson, Junior Sinclair, Kevin Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Marian Samaroo, Plaffiana Millington, Shabeka Gajnabi, Dian Prahalad, B. Thomas, K. Munroe, Sheneeta Grimmond, Sherica Campbelle, Aleema Arokium, Roshanna Lynch, Uma Matadin and Melanie Henry represented Berbice at the different levels.
In the GCB Franchise League, the RHTY&SC was represented by Royston Crandon, Clinton Pestano, Eon Hooper, Kevlon Anderson, Shawn Pereira, Kelvin Sinclair and Jason Sinclair, while at the National youth level, Junior Sinclair and Kevlon Anderson played for Guyana (U-17) with Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Sylus Tyndall making the U-19 team.
Marian Samaroo, Sheneeta Grimmond, Uma Matadin, Plaffiana Millington, Melanie Henry, Shemaine Campbelle and Erva Giddings played for the National Female Senior Team, while Clinton Pestano, Eon Hooper and Assad Fudadin played at the Senior Male level.
Fudadin also played for the Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and is currently representing Jamaica in the PCL. Towards the end of 2017, Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Shivnarine Ramnarain, Christopher Deroop, Angelino Ramdihal, Reyad Rahaman, Matthew Pattaya, Jeremy Sandian, Shamar Scott and Jonathan De Veir represented Upper Corentyne with great success at the U-13 and U-15 levels.
To conclude a highly successful year Shemaine Campbelle, Kevlon Anderson and Shabeka Gajnabi received awards from the GCB.
Off the field of play, the club hosted a two-week Academy for over 80 young cricketers and hosted 21 tournaments including the Patron’s Green Economy Cup, Busta Champion of Champions, Nasir Memorial, GWI Under-19, Republic Bank Under-17, Say No/Say Yes 5/5 Cup, Hand-in-Hand Anniversary Cup, GBTI Inter Secondary Tournament and Smartt/King Memorial.
The club’s players were also involved in a six-month Coaching programme sponsored by the Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society. Major repairs were also undertaken on the main pavilion at the Area ‘H’ ground.
During 2017, the club introduced two new cricket teams, Rose Hall Town King Solomon Logistics Under-12 and the Poonai Pharmacy Under-13. Under its Sports Outreach Programme, the club organised or sponsored a total of 37 tournaments including football, chess, dominos, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, bodybuilding, scrabble and cycling.
The club even sponsored a female 5-aside development football tournament for the East Bank Football Association whilst donating over $500,000 worth of cricket gear to its own members as part of the cricket developmental drive.
Under the highly successful Say No/Say Yes Campaign, the club hosted over 200 programmes/activities including the first ever Top Ten Awards Scheme to honour outstanding Grade Six Students, Republic Bank Summer Camp, Youth Information Booklet, Scotia Bank Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, CSEC Top Students Awards, Youth Inspiration Forum, GuyOil Life Programme, Educational Scholarships, Tribute to Retired Teachers, Educational Posters, Television Commercials, billboards and the DMLAS Teachers of the Year Awards.
Over $1.5M worth of school bags and $1M in exercise books were distributed, 25 bicycles to less fortunate students were handed out along with close to $1M in school uniforms and footwear.
A total of 39 schools received assistance to help them fulfill their mandate under the Patron’s Fund. Assistance was also provided to three different classes at the Tain Campus of the University of Guyana while 73 students received assistance towards the successful completion of their CSEC, SBAs.
The RHTY& SC also assisted eight students who requested payment for their CSEC dues while a total of 16 senior citizens received funds for medical expenses. The Social Programme was also expanded in 2017 and included General Feeding Programmes for less fortunate families, distribution of $3M worth of clothing, Mash Parade with over 700 students, Evening of Music, Mother of the Year Award Scheme, Father of the Year Award Scheme, donation of a combined 250 hampers to mothers and fathers, Dare to Dream Programme, Make a Wish Project, Role Model of the Year, Say No to Drugs Campaign, Say No to Alcohol Campaign, Say Yes to Life Programme and Say Yes to Religion Campaign.
The club also launched a massive programme to provide pensioners with refreshments every month as they wait to uplift their Old Age Pension. The club’s ten teams also successfully hosted the 175th Anniversary Celebration of Rose Hall Town.
Fifteen residents also received wheelchairs while 500 copies of the Rose Hall Town History Booklets were distributed to residents. The Club worked closely with the Guyana Police Force under its Say No to Crime Programme and made several donations to assist the fight against crime.
Numerous award ceremonies were organised to honour outstanding Berbicians and these included the Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Tribute to Heroes and Region 6 Sports Award.
Seventeen Guyanese were honoured with the club’s highest award – The Dolphin Award of Excellence including Prime Minister Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Director of Sports Christopher Jones, Minister Amna Ally and Region 6 Regional Chairman David Armogan.
Over 50 cricket clubs and 23 NGOs received millions of dollars worth of cricket gear, balls and sports equipment.
Schools and NGOs also benefitted from a million dollars worth of trophies and medals while the cricket teams also assisted Ms. World Guyana Vena Mookram in organising a Diabetes Fair and Fitness Walk as part of her preparation for the Ms World Contest in China.
The year ended with the successful hosting of the Club’s popular Christmas Village and the distribution of toys, clothing, footwear, educational materials and food hampers to less fortunate families.
RHTY& SC under its Community Development Programme in 2017 also constructed a scoreboard, a 175th Rose Hall Monument to honour the fifty seven former slaves who had purchased the Village in 1842.
The club also secured funding to the tune of $5M to pave and asphalt the compound of the Rose Hall Town Primary School. The Area ‘H’ Ground is also currently undergoing major restoration works in another club inspired project.
Foster stated that despite the successes in 2017, the club has already started working towards its target of 700 programmes/activities for 2018. Among those planned are the expanding of its cricket section, construction of an Indoor Facility, planting of grass and the installation of flood lights at the Area ‘H’ ground, an all weather tarmac to accommodate matches and practice sessions and the expansion of the highly successful Say No/say Yes Campaign.
Gratitude is being extended to the national media especially Kaieteur News, Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, TVG, DTV-8, LRTVS-CH10, NCN and Stabroek News for the coverage of the club’s activities during the year.
The Mayor and Town Council of Rose Hall Town, especially Vejai Ramoo and Dave Budhu were lauded for their support while special thanks have been extended to every sponsor, donors, President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Minister Volda Lawrence, Director of Sports Christopher Jones, Region 6 Regional Chairman David Armogan, Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop and Regional Executive Officer Kim Williams-Stephens.

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