OPM GB gives funds to local sporting organizations and marching bands
Authored by: Andrew Coakley
Source: Bahamas Information Services
Date: December 19, 2019

 

The Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama has shown appreciation for various sporting organizations and the marching band community of the island by presenting each respective group with financial grants to assist their work with the young people.

 

Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Kwasi Thompson recently presented the grants to leaders of the groups in the conference room of the Office of the Prime Minister.

 

“Since the passing of Hurricane Dorian, one of the things that we’ve been very interested in and focused on is that we rebuild the island of Grand Bahama,” said Minister Thompson. “But that does not just involve reconstructing buildings, it’s also about attempting to rebuild lives and bring back some normalcy into the lives of the residents of Grand Bahama.

 

“In carrying out that initiative, we realize that we cannot forget the young people. And the reason why we’ve chosen these organizations is because we’ve seen their impact on young people and on the island; we’ve seen the work that youth and sporting organizations have done.”

 

Receiving grants from the Office of the Prime Minister to assist with their respective programs of building the youth of the Bahamas were the Rising Star Youth Baseball and Softball Development League, the Grand Bahama Tennis Association, the Grand Bahama Sports Promotion Association, which has responsibility for the youth golf program in Grand Bahama, the Pioneers Marching Band, the Bahama Brass Band, the Legend’s Marching, the Path Finder’s Marching Band and the Urban Renewal Marching Band.

Minister Thompson noted that Hurricane Dorian not only destroyed buildings, but had a negative effect on the lives and people of Grand Bahama; and the young people were not immune to those negative effects.

 

As such, he said, it was the youth groups and the sporting organizations on the island that quickly stepped in after the storm, opened their doors and gave the young people of Grand Bahama a way in which to not only take their minds off the destruction that took place on the island, but also provide an opportunity to fellowship with each other and to talk about their experiences, which, for many has become a part of the healing process.

 

Like the sporting organizations, Minister Thompson noted that marching bands have contributed tremendously to the lives of young people throughout Grand Bahama.  Groups have helped to foster camaraderie, instilling discipline and order and creating friendships.

 

He added, “We really need to do all we can holistically to rebuild the lives of our residents here in Grand Bahama. On behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister, we want to thank these organizations for the daily assistance they have been providing to our young people.”

 

The Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama presented funding to various sporting organizations in Grand Bahama, including the Rising Star Baseball and Softball Development League; the Grand Bahama Tennis Association and the Grand Bahama Sports Promotion Association, which is responsible for the development of the youth golf program. Making the presentation was Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Kwasi Thompson (center) and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Harcourt Brown (second from left).  (BIS Photo)

 

Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, presented funding to various marching bands in Grand Bahama to assist in their programs, which help with the positive development of young people on the island.  Marching bands receiving funding from the Office of the Prime Minister were the Pioneers Marching Band, the Bahama Brass Band, the Legend’s Marching, the Path Finder’s Marching Band and the Urban Renewal Marching Band.   (BIS Photo)

 

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