Hip! Hip! Hooh Roarrrrrr! for the Lions Club of Mandeville
Published:Saturday | June 18, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Valerie Dixon, Contributor
MANDEVILLE, Manchester:
THE FAIRGROUNDS and how the many tents were arranged brought back memories of our British heritage, as it was a day when lassies and lads of all ages got leave from their moms and dads and came away to Brooks Park in the high mountains of Manchester, and although there were no fiddlers standing by, there was a rollicking atmosphere as everyone danced or swayed, or simply enjoyed the music played by Xanadu disco.
Lions Club of Mandeville President Jackie Foster said she believed that the huge turnout could be attributed to the change of venue and the choice of the ebullient and ever effervescent media personality, Jenny Jenny, who emceed the show.
The show highlighted Nicky Dillon, singer and daughter of the late Phyllis Dillon, who was a prolific singer during Jamaica's ska and rocksteady music and dance era. Timberlee Heaven, one of Jamaica's fabulous and beautiful female deejays, made a cameo appearance and she was also well received. The Critical Squad, a dance group that hails from Mandeville, dropped some awesome dance moves onstage and showed why they were tops in the 'Dancin' Dynamite' show hosted by the emcee.
The support from corporate Jamaica was tremendous and it allowed many gifts, prizes and surprises to be given away to lucky patrons who had the correct answers or the right fandangle (word used a lot during our colonial past), or whatever Miss Jenny Jenny thought was right for a prize. The Lions Club can also be congratulated for giving exposure to a young entrepreneur, Tamara Rowe, for the beautiful outfits that were modelled.
The Middlesex World Beauty pageant, which is organised by Nicky Baxter- Murray for many years, had contestants who strutted their stuff onstage and paraded all over the fair grounds and did turn many heads to prove the point about Jamaica having very beautiful women.
Not to be outdone, the men who cooked put on a splendid show displaying their culinary skills and patrons had a hard time deciding what four meats they would choose for their meal. There were 34 chefs and they all looked smart in their aprons, the work of artist Mark Cameron and fashion designer Rosie Chen.
Engaging events
The young ones frolicked between the bounceabouts, the see-saws and the Ferris wheel and many of them with painted faces, took pictures with the clown who danced and pranced with the kids from two to not quite 92. Foster gave a brief history, stating that the idea for a Lions Club was brought to Mandeville in 1975 by Clive Corke; with a view to recruit volunteers to give service to the less fortunate within our society, especially to those in need of vision care; the youths; education and geriatrics.
However, with time, things changed. One such change was that the Lioness Club merged with the Lions Club and now female and male members bellow the same roar. President Jackie pointed out that she is very proud of the fact that a former president, June McCatty, MJF, is now the district governor for Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean.
The club now operates a clinic for diabetics at their clubhouse, situated on Wint Road in Mandeville. Doctors and nurses are at the clinic on the first Saturday of every month and they administer free blood-sugar level and high blood pressure tests and diabetics are invited to their talks on topics such as foot care, diet and exercise. The old and indigent are not forgotten, as volunteers give their service to the Home for the Needy in Balaclava run by the Catholic Mission of Mercy. An annual banquet is held to honour professionals who have given yeoman service to their country and who are now retired.
For the past 12 years, this event, 'Men Who Cook', has grown tremendously and it is hoped that next year's event will attract even more patrons to support the work done by the Lions Club of Mandeville as they, like other organisations that give service, try to help Jamaica grow and prosper.
Let us now give a huge big-up to Chairman Lion Rupert Magee and his team for a successful event, and a gigantic cheer of "Hip! Hip! Hooh Roarrrrrr!" for the Lions Club of Mandeville, Jamaica.