RHTYSC Cricket teams assist schools, churches, and BCB in 7th edition

Jul 02, 2026 Sports

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Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund

Kaieteur Sports – ​The Cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club has launched the 7th annual edition of their Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund in memory of the legendary West Indies middle order batsman. The fund was established in 2020 after Butcher died in December 2019 in the United States of America after a long illness.

​Club Secretary Hilbert Foster noted that the main objective of the fund is to keep the memory of the late Butcher alive in Berbice while assisting others to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The teams – Poonai’s Pharmacy Under 11 and 13, Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and second Division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermediate, Metro Females, Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Under 23 and First Division are responsible for organising the programme each year during the period June to September.

This year’s programme was launched with the hosting of the Tribute to Medical Doctors Awards at the Port Mourant Hospital. Fourteen doctors were honoured and they each received a trophy, medal of excellence, framed certificate and several special gifts.

Numerous schools across the Corentyne area have also benefitted with items for their upcoming graduation ceremonies. Among the schools to benefit are the Rose Hall Town Nursery School and Rose Hall Town Primary. They received trophies, medals, framed certificates, school bags and special gifts.

​Hundreds of fathers received food hampers last month as part of the club’s father’s day celebration. Each food hamper was worth five thousand dollars. Several churches including the ST. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, ST. Agnes Anglican and the Maranatha Faith Ministries also benefitted from the food hampers project.

The cricket teams also co-sponsored the Berbice Cricket Board life seminar Development Programme that was held last Saturday at the Port Mourant Community Centre for ninety youth cricketers. The teams donated three special prizes, educational materials (exercise books, pens, pencil, sharpeners etc) white twelve youths at the seminar also received school bags with educational materials.

​​The Port Mourant Public Hospital also benefitted from a donation of four digital clocks, which would be stationed across the extended building. The Trust Fund also donated a cycle to a pensioner who takes care of his ailing wife to assist him to move about. The Berbice Cricket Board received a contribution of sixteen trophies towards assisting them to host cricket tournaments in 2026. While the RHTYSC Cricket teams also sponsored a cross country race in memory of the late Beyonce Ross, a former athlete from Rose Hall Town.

​The Basil Butcher Trust Fund over the next two months would be sharing out hundreds of school bags to students along with educational materials. The Trust fund would also be hosting the annual RHTYSC Cricket Academy and Republic Bank Grade 6 Summer Camp. A combined two hundred youths are expected to attend both programmes and over two million dollars worth of prizes would be shared out to the outstanding performers. Among the prizes are bicycle, electric bike, electronic tablets, tricycles, personal laptop computers, Comfort Sleep Mattresses, designer watches and clothes, food hampers, kitchen utensils, household items, gold medallion and footwear.

The top student from each programme is guaranteed to take home half a million dollars worth of prizes. The cricket teams would also be honoring the top student from Rose Hall Town at the Grade Six and CSEC level with a personal laptop computer, sponsored by contractor Raymond Haniff of Diversity Investments.

​Basil Butcher played 44 test matches for the West Indies, scoring 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven centuries. He is one of two Berbicians to score a double century in tests – 209 not out versus England. The RHTYSC since its formation in 1990 has produced 133 players for Berbice, 76 for Guyana while 13 has gone on to play at the international level. Among the players are Assad Fudadin, Kevin Sinclair, Kelvon Anderson, Esuen Crandon, Royston Crandon, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Clinton Pestano, Jonathan Rampersaud and Domonice Rikhi and Askay Homraj. Over the years, the RHTYSC has also won 133 cricket tournaments and won the Guyana Cricket Club of the Year award – five times.

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• Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund, BCB, RHTYSC

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