Hanover Charities praised for ‘priceless’ support
Published:Saturday | July 6, 2024 | 12:07 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Hanover’s leading philanthropic body, Hanover Charities, has donated grants and scholarships to support the education and programmes of over 300 individuals and 30 organisations. The handover of the sums of money was done at Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Hanover recently amid a sea of smiling faces of students, parents and representatives of community organisations.
Sharing an overview of the organisation’s work since 1957, chairman of Hanover Charities, Katherin Casserly, said 2024 marks the resumption of the organisation’s annual awards, following a hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other personal reasons. Casserly noted that over $100m was raised at The Sugarcane Ball, its main fundraising event for 2024, held at the Round Hill Hotel property earlier this year.
“We (Hanover Charities board) all believe in being a part of creating a better Jamaica, one that is educated and ready for the world,” she said.
“Hanover Charities will always shine as a beacon of community involvement and social responsibility in western Jamaica.”
Wayne Cummings, guest speaker and chief executive officer of the Arya Group of companies, lauded the contribution of charitable organisations such as Hanover Charities to the Jamaican society, describing it as priceless.
“What if we did not have these charities?” Cummings asked.
“So much is being asked of the government, so much is asked of those persons with wealth who can contribute. But we ignore too often the millions of dollars, the many man hours that go into planning, looking out for, selecting, and making sure that whether it is scholarships, or actually putting steel and concrete into the ground to build the infrastructure to help communities, that those organisations are recognised.” He argued that they deserve much more recognition.
He encouraged all recipients to pay forward their gains by always looking to assist someone else.
Education officer in the Ministry of Education Region 4, Susan Simms, also praised Hanover Charities for its support, especially in the area of education.
“The Ministry of Education supports this initiative and congratulates Hanover Charities for assisting Hanover schools and as such the nation’s children,” she said.
Noting that education is the cornerstone of a prosperous and enlightened society, Simms reasoned that providing good-quality education is fraught with challenges that require a collective effort and dedication.
“Hanover Charities, you have recognised those challenges and stepped forward to address them with generosity and vision,” she stated.
Simms said that there are many stories and testaments from principals, teachers, parents and students from across Hanover about the positive changes that Hanover Charities helped to bring about in their lives. She noted that ‘investments in education are investments in the future of an entire community, and by extension a nation’.