Solar: ‘The breakfast of all breakfasts’
Published:Sunday | April 14, 2019 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera - Senior Gleaner Writer
Montego Bay’s Tropical Bliss Beach was a flurry of activities on Sunday morning as Antidote Entertainment put on what could be described as ‘the breakfast of all breakfasts’, at the fourth staging of their fundraiser, dubbed Solar.
There was food galore, ranging from Jamaican favourites – Foska Oats porridge, stewed chicken, curried chicken, boiled and fried dumplings – as well as a continental omelette station by Deja Resort and pastries by Iberostar Resorts.
This year, the food court was expanded with a lot more seating and sponsors. Red Bull’s wigwam tent provided a lot of shade for diners, a vast upgrade from when the event made its debut in 2016.
The event, which is the first of three which will be held this year, was nothing short of fabulous, and long before midday, the organisers, a team of Cornwallians, were confident they were well under way to raise some of the targeted $2 million to be donated to the We Care for Cornwall Foundation.
“Our aim this year is to double the $1 million that we did at the last staging. We have three staging this year, though. We have this one in April, August and November. So we are hoping to use all three to double, or even triple, what we did last year, which was $2 million,” spokesperson Debra Haughton told Outlook.
The collaboration with other entities was obvious. Execution companies, hotel and other brands throughout Montego Bay, other event promoters, décor companies and branding companies played a key role in the event’s success, which has hosted between 3,000 and 5,000 participants over the years.
For one of the founders, Steffan Chad Haughton, aside from the food, the entertainment factor has played a key role in pulling out patrons. On the morning, he pronounced that at 11 a.m., when host Yanique ‘Curvy Diva’ Barrett made her appearance, that was to be the high point of the party, which also featured deejay Hash Oil, DJ Jigga and WM Entertainment.
“The charity event has just taken on a new role. We have expanded the event not only within Montego Bay, but outside of Montego Bay,” he added.