'Annie' premieres at Carib to help dialysis patients
Published:Friday | December 19, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Cathy Risden and Jody-Anne Lawrence, Gleaner Writers
The Kidney Support Foundation of Jamaica held a premiere showing for the movie Annie at Carib 5, Cinema, on Tuesday.
The foundation will use the proceeds to help cover the costs of dialysis patients in the five hospitals across the island that have a kidney unit - Kingston Public Hospital, University Hospital of the West Indies, Mandeville, Spanish Town Hospital and Cornwall Regional Hospital.
In his speech, chairman of the foundation, John McFarlane, said that there are 500 to 600 persons being treated each year for kidney disease in Jamaica. The foundation's initiative is not only to help treat these patients, but to also educate the public.
Communications representative for the foundation, Trudy Williams, explained that Annie was the best selection as some of the soundtracks do reflect some of what a kidney patient might feel. One of the songs on the sound track The sun will come out tomorrow shows that there is hope for them.
Heart-wrenching story
Annie chronicles the difficult life of Annie and her four foster friends, Isabella, Tessie, Mia and Pepper. Almost run over by a minivan, Annie is saved by New York mayoral candidate, Will Stacks, who makes a thinly veiled campaign move and becomes her foster-parent.
Learning that Annie was desperate to find her real parents - a week before the election, Stack's shrewd and devious campaign adviser, Guy, plotted to 'find' Annie's parent to get rid of Anne once and for all. After Annie is signed over to her supposedly biological parent, Stack realises that a little girl's life and happiness surpasses his political ambitions.
Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer