Celebrating charity

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

When the history of contemporary Jamaica shall have been written, let the records show that Jamaicans enjoyed considerable goodwill from all across the globe, but especially from the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ).

Now this organisation, the brainchild of Anne Sabo, was launched in 1982 with a core membership of Americans with winter homes in Jamaica, American multinational corporations with Jamaican business interests as well as members of the diplomatic corps. The not-for-profit organisation's remit was to provide Jamaican charities and causes with assistance in the areas of: education, health care and human and economic development. To achieve these objectives in a tangible way, the AFJ started an annual Charity Gala, hosted in New York City, as its principal fund-raising instrument. Following the gala, the organisation would then disburse funds at a luncheon, hosted by the sitting American ambassador to Jamaica, at the official residence.

Since its inception, the AFJ has embraced its very noble ideals of service, as well as incorporating the equally noble principle of publicly acknowledging and embracing individuals and organisations whose humanitarian works and contribution might have otherwise gone unheralded! In its 30-year history, the AFJ has disbursed millions of dollars, created and facilitated by a number of individual interventions to right social wrongs, establishing health-care facilities for the needy; and, generally, has been its brother's keeper!

The AFJ has as its current president, former US Ambassador to Jamaica, Ambassador Sue Cobb, and in her and in the mould of her AFJ predecessors, Jamaica has a true friend, advocate, supporter and defender, and under her stewardship, the AFJ has seen an expansion in humanitarian intervention and membership, at both the level of American participation and Jamaican nationals including a Florida chapter. The organisation's scope and remit are a credit to its founding principals, its successors and its current leaders. The organisation is the single largest of its kind, interfacing with Jamaican charities and causes at the critical and crucial juncture - that of making a difference! the AFJ is a successful model, little wonder others seek to replicate its fine ideals and achievements.

No surprises either that an organisation such as this, with the stature and support of the diplomatic corps, corporate America/Jamaica, high-profile entertainers, business leaders and east coast socialites, not only enjoys overwhelming support and goodwill, but its annual charity events are now high-glam, enjoying celeb status and support!

Anyway last Monday, businessman Gordon Tewani and wife Diane threw a reception at their upper St Andrew residence in honour of Ambassador Cobb and her AFJ directors!

My dears, to begin with, the Tewanis, both philanthropists with many causes, live in an absolutely fabulously majestic residence atop the upscale Norbrook community of lavish homes and splendiferous décor. To welcome Ambassador Cobb and her directors and administrators, the Tewanis threw what was simply a dee-vine garden do that was all haute-glam and nothing but!

Dears, with access to the residence being a chauffeured golf cart, from the very outset, it was abundantly clear that the event was style charter and nothing else. From the phalanx of private security personnel to the family welcome by the Tewanis, to the exquisitely manicured and done gardens and lawns, with the cascading and panoramic view of the city and outlying towns plus a battery of staff doing duty, pumpkins, we are talking high-glam and fine style here!

Luvs, we are talking prime time here and nothing but, as this was a celebration of charity, and it was a faultlessly charitable outing, with among those out being wife of the prime minister, Lorna Golding; former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson; Glynne Manley and daughter the lovely Janine Ewart Bunting; Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn; Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington; Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover; Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda; children of the hosts: Natini and Ravi Tewaani and Shalini Vaswani.

We saw Monsignor Richard Albert; pillars of the AFJ: Sydney and Sylvia Engel, James and Manuela Goren and Jim Cada; legal luminary, the venerable Christopher Bovell and wife, the ever fashionable Michelle Bovell; Maurice and Valerie Facey; the esteemed Oliver Jones; social grand dame Ruby Martin; social luminaries Earl and Beverly Levy; Monica Ladd; the esteemed Pokar and Sati Chandiram, son Anup Chandiram, also out; Joe and Bernadette Matalon; Michael and Phyllis Ammar; Lorna Myers; Ian and Cecelia Levy; Prakash and Anita Vaswani; Paul and Becky Stockhausen; Seragh Lakasingh; Russell and Carol Hadeed; Jennifer Lim; Trevor DeLeon; Drs Dhiru and Laura Tanna; Dr Robert and Pat Parchment; Lachu Ramchandani; Richard Byles; Bruce Bowen and wife Suzann; Aubyn and Tamara Hill; Mark and Julie Jones; Geoff and Jennifer Messado; Chris Berry and wife Dr Patricia Yap; Jeffery Hall; Donovan and Michelle Perkins; Dr Jonathan Greenland and wife Dr Rebecca Tortello-Greenland; Cedric McDonald; Arnold and Trish Foote; Michael and Sandra Willacy; Michael and Melanie Subratie; Rajan Trehan; and the simply stunning Caron Chung, the AFJ's executive director; plus a number of others.