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GoodHeart | New Fortress Energy, CDC gift community with multipurpose court

Published:Saturday | May 14, 2022 | 12:07 AM
“Finally! A court to call our own,” is what residents in Catherine Hall are saying after the ribbon cutting to their newly-refurbished multi-purpose court was done by New Fortress Energy (NFE), the St James Municipal Corporation and the Catherine Hall
“Finally! A court to call our own,” is what residents in Catherine Hall are saying after the ribbon cutting to their newly-refurbished multi-purpose court was done by New Fortress Energy (NFE), the St James Municipal Corporation and the Catherine Hall Community Development Centre. In the photo are Robert Rodney, terminal manager, NFE Montego Bay LNG Terminal, Paul Nelson, councillor caretaker, Spring Gardens division, Janet Silvera, president, Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Councillor Dwight Crawford, Spring Gardens division and Ava-Gaye Gordon, president, Catherine Hall CDC.
Members of Catherine Hall Primary & Infant School’s football team christened the newly-refurbished Catherine Hall multi-purpose court following the ribbon cutting, by challenging Robert Rodney, terminal manager at New Fortress Energy in Montego Bay and C
Members of Catherine Hall Primary & Infant School’s football team christened the newly-refurbished Catherine Hall multi-purpose court following the ribbon cutting, by challenging Robert Rodney, terminal manager at New Fortress Energy in Montego Bay and Councillor Dwight Crawford, to a game of scrimmage.
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RESIDENTS OF the Catherine Hall community are expressing gratitude to New Fortress Energy Foundation and the Catherine Hall Community Development Centre (CDC), following the official handover of a newly-refurbished multipurpose court in the community recently. The multimillion-dollar court was officially handed over in a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 9 in the community.

Members of the Catherine Hall CDC had approached New Fortress Energy seeking assistance with refurbishing the community’s multipurpose court, which was originally an empty space. Today, the refurbished court boasts 300 feet of chain-link perimeter fencing, markings and hoops for football, basketball and netball as well as LED solar lights to facilitate night games and activities.

MILESTONE for youth

Speaking at the handover, president of the Catherine Hall Community Development Centre, Ava-Gaye Gordon, said: “New Fortress Energy, we appreciate and commend you for your commitment, especially at a time when the pandemic would have impacted many companies financially. We could not have done this without you. We promise to honour your investment and commitment to our community by maintaining this multipurpose court as a milestone in enhancing youth growth and development in our community. Jamaica’s next sporting star will come from Catherine Hall, and they will testify that it all started for them at Catherine Hall on this court.”

Janet Silvera, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in endorsing the project, highlighted that community multipurpose courts are very important in helping to stem crime and violence in many local communities across Jamaica. “This multipurpose court is, therefore, a big step in the right direction in giving our young people a positive outlet to grow and develop. The chamber has worked with New Fortress Energy for several years and we applaud them for their commitment to supporting and giving back to the people of Montego Bay through various initiatives, including education and community development.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Crawford, councillor for the Spring Gardens division, also extended thanks to New Fortress Energy for saying yes to their call for help. “I am overjoyed at what today represents for the residents of Catherine Hall. It’s heart-warming to know that young men, young women and families on a whole, now have somewhere to call their own. A secure space where they can bond, play, network and develop their sporting talent. On behalf of the entire Catherine Hall community and the St James Municipal Corporation, we simply cannot thank New Fortress Energy enough for their support.”

“We look forward to the many sporting events and family activities that will be made possible here in Catherine Hall because of the construct of this multipurpose court,” said Robert Rodney, terminal manager at New Fortress Energy.

Since its inception in Jamaica over six years ago, New Fortress Energy, through its foundation, continues to invest in and give back to the people of Montego Bay in several ways, including providing financial aid for thousands of primary-school students, bursaries for hundreds of high-school students and scholarships for students studying engineering at UWI, UTech and CMU, who are from St James. And with its upcoming back to school and internship programme in the summer, over 500 students will once benefit from needed school supplies and financial aid from the New Fortress Energy Foundation.