WESTERN BUREAU:
PLANS ARE well advanced for this year's St. Elizabeth Homecoming Week of celebrations, scheduled to take place between Saturday, November 25 and Saturday, December 2. Chief executive Director of the Homecoming Foundation, George Watson, has disclosed that a range of some twenty events over eight days will mark the seventh year of this annual parish commemoration.
Heading the list of events will be the prestigious "Best of the Bess" honours awards dinner, scheduled for Wednesday, November 29 at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. This will mark the first time in its seven-year history that the awards dinner is being held outside of the parish, primarily to highlight its special fund raising character this year, in aid of educational institutions across the parish. The traditional launching church service will take place at the St. Peter's Anglican Church Pedro, Plains, on Sunday the 26th at which His Excellency The Most Honorable Sir Howard Cooke will be the special preacher.
Other notable events this year include an opening Beach Party at the Font Hill Beach on Saturday the 25th. This will be followed by a Health Fair in Black River on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th; an Education Conference at Hampton School for principals, teachers and PTA's on Thursday 30th, followed by a Folk Concert at Munro College that same night; an all day Public Education Expo at Hampton, Friday 1st; two road races (5k and 10k) at Holland Bamboo on Saturday 2nd December, ending with a same night Soca Party at Coconut Grove, Santa Cruz.
Prior to the actual Homecoming Week, a list of the parish's notable sons and daughters will spend the entire week from November 13-16 addressing over 80 schools in the parish on matters such as career opportunities; the importance of education; values and attitudes; and social responsibilities.
Added to all these, a series of twelve nightly community concerts will take place at specially selected community and village centres, rounding out the celebration. These events are rotated each year across the parish so that all communities can share in their benefits.
Mr. Watson pointed out that the actual length of this year's celebratory week includes an extra day, indicative of the growing interest to the concept of Homecoming Week, he said.
The Parish Foundation is expressing immense satisfaction with the all-round reaction to its annual Homecoming, and plans to announce shortly new developments in its programme, at home and abroad, beginning next year.
