Mayor's Charity Ball a Huge Success
WESTERN BUREAU:
Montego Bay's mayor, Councillor Homer Davis, will host five Christmas treats in the parish of St James - bringing cheer to not only children, but also the elderly this Yuletide season. He will be able to accomplish this ambitious project through monies raised at his inaugural 'Mayor's Charity Ball' staged at the Montego Bay Convention Centre last Saturday night, December 2.
The black tie affair was a huge success, attended by hundreds of members of the Montegonian business community. Women donning fabulous gowns and handsomely dressed men in suits, rubbing shoulders with Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica Niu Qingba, his counterpart, Nigerian Ambassador to Jamaica Janet Omoleegho Olisa, as well as local dignitaries.
Addressing the audience, Mayor Davis said that in conceptualising a fundraiser, he felt the ball was a very good way to get enough support from, and participation of, the corporate community and members of the public.
He explained that the proceeds from the event will be deposited into the 'Mayor's Charity Fund', which is a trust that was set up to support projects that are selected at the discretion of the chairman of the Municipal Council.
"This Charity Fund is managed by three trustees the chief executive officer, the director of finance of the St James Municipal Corporation, and the mayor of Montego Bay," he revealed.
In fact, the essence of the fund, he stressed, was to assist citizens in need, as well as to fund a number of calendar events, such as the annual Christmas treats.
A total of 5,000 children and 500 elderly persons will benefit from the project.
The event was executed by a committee of well-known Montegonians, which included: Councillor Dwight 'Debo' Crawford; Dr Carleene Grant-Davis; Pier One's Robert Russell; Montego Bay Convention Centre's Odette Dyer; and Western Mirror's Mexine Bisasor.