The Golden Box situated in the Government Administration Building on Thursday.
PHILIPSBURG–The Golden Box was launched at the Government Administration Building on Thursday and the entire island is invited to fill in their Carnival Pass raffle forms and drop them in the box for a chance to win one of fifty season passes for Carnival-50 next year.
Minister of Tourism Stuart Johnson joined St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) Interim Director May Ling Chun in launching the special Carnival promotion designed to encourage local participation. Following the launch, Minister Johnson also stated that persons can take “selfies” with the Golden Box and share on the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) website as well as the STB social media pages with the hashtag SXMCarnival50 (#sxmcarnival50), for a chance to win additional prizes.
The first two participants in the raffle were captured filling in their raffle forms today which created a buzz and saw many others following their lead. The public is invited to come to the Government Administration Building during opening hours and collect their forms from the reception desk. Each candidate is allowed one form and one chance to win.
The draw date for the 50 passes is November 30 at the Government Building, during which a wide range of entertainment and giveaways are being prepared. Winners must be present on the draw date to collect their passes.
Johnson said during the launch of the Carnival-50 promotion that the idea is to give everyone an equal opportunity to take part in Carnival’s upcoming golden anniversary. He said the improvement of Carnival is part of United Democrats’ governing programme and the promotion “shows our commitment to the further development of Carnival and the entertainment industry on the island for our visitors and residents.”
He said the size of the golden box will increase as the number of participants increases.
Chun said the idea is to ensure that not only the international community gets information on the planned Carnival event for 2019, but the population of St. Maarten as well.
Johnson said, “We cannot simply assume that because the Carnival celebration is held every year, people are naturally going to be excited to attend. We have a responsibility to generate the buzz and create the interest so that everyone comes out and supports and gets an opportunity to be part of Carnival.”
The 50 people who will not have to purchase tickets to enter Carnival Village for the various local and international shows planned for next year can now spend the extra dollars at the booths.
SCDF President Alston Lourens said the foundation welcomes these types of significant initiatives that extend the love of Carnival to more people.
Lourens said, “Minister Johnson, we know, has continued to provide excellent support to the Golden Anniversary of Carnival in whatever ways he can, not just through subsidy.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/82722-minister-opens-registration-for-carnival-2019-season-passes
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