~ Guyanese to be honoured ~
PHILIPSBURG–Guyanese across St. Maarten/St. Martin will launch a week of celebrations on Saturday, May 18, to mark their country’s 53rd Independence anniversary, which will be observed on May 26.
The St. Maarten Guyanese Association (SMGA) has planned a series of activities to celebrate this auspicious occasion.
The celebrations will begin with a church service at Good News Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Pendant Cactus Drive in Sucker Garden, from 10:00am Saturday, May 18. Persons are encouraged to attend this service and to be attired in one or more of the Guyana flag colours.
On Wednesday, May 22, there will be a Cocktail and Award Ceremony to honour outstanding Guyanese persons in various fields in St. Maarten society as well as students who have performed successfully at the 2018 Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate/Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CSEC/CAPE) examinations. This ceremony will be held at the Association meeting room at 158B Back Street, Philipsburg, and will start at 8:00pm.
Students of Guyanese heritage who have attained a minimum of five CSEC/CAPE passes with Grades 1 and 2 are asked to provide proof of their CSEC/CAPE passes to President Velda Blackett, tel. 580-1617, or Secretary Joshua Schwiers, tel. 586-3335, by May 17.
The Association is also collaborating with the Epic group to host a two-day Cricket Festival at the Carib Lumber Ball Park in Cul de Sac on May 25 and 26. A number of overseas and local stars will be featured on both days, such as Racheem Cornwall, an all-rounder of the St. Lucia Stars and Leeward Islands Hurricanes; Christopher Barnwell of the Guyana Amazon Warriors; and Sherwin Peters, Keacy Carty and Akeem Charles of St. Maarten.
On May 25, there will be a motorcade from the ring road in the vicinity of the old Air Lekkerbek to the St. Maarten Festival Village entrance and ending at the Carib Lumber Ball Park in Cul de Sac starting at 2:00pm. Persons are encouraged to beautify their vehicles to showcase aspects of Guyana, as prizes will be awarded for the best decorated vehicles.
The motorcade will culminate with a Family Fun Day at the Carib Lumber Ball Park from 3:00pm and patrons can expect fun games such as rounders, “sal out,” hopscotch, cricket, dominoes and fun races for both adults and children. There will be a variety of succulent Guyanese dishes and beverages on sale.
In the evening there will be a stage show featuring local Guyanese deejays who will be providing music from 6:30pm. Guyanese music sensation Blaze Antonio will be performing his hit single “Blow” and other latest tunes alongside Guyanese comedian “Granny Ivelaw.”
There will also be the drawing of a raffle at 8:00pm on May 25 that offers attractive prizes such as a return air ticket for two sponsored by Winair.
The SMGA is encouraging all Guyanese to turn out in their numbers to join in the celebrations that are planned for this year. It is encouraging all Guyanese or persons of Guyanese descent to get into the spirit of the celebrations by flying the Golden Arrowhead on their cars during the week May 19-26.
Persons can also purchase a 53rd Independence Anniversary T-shirt for US $10 from any member of the Association.
Persons who are interested in securing food booths at the Ball Park for May 25 and 26 should contact SMGA President Velda Blackett at tel. 580-1617, Vice President Malcolm Mickle at tel. 524-9587 or Treasurer Mark Daniel at tel. 524-9555 as soon as possible.
Guyana, the only English-speaking country on the continent of South America, gained its independence from Great Britain on May 26, 1966. Prior to Britain’s colonisation, the country changed hands many times, with the Dutch being the first of a series of European nations to settle on the land in 1616.
Evidence of the close-to-200 years of Dutch occupation is still evident today in the names of many places, such as New Amsterdam, Uitvlugt, Stabroek Market, Kyk-Over-Al and Fort Zeelandia, the Essequibo River, and Zeeburg. Its capital city, Georgetown, owes much of the architecture, canals, and kokers to Dutch ingenuity.
The colony of Demerara-Essequibo was created on August 13, 1814, when the British combined the two colonies into one. In 1815, the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara were formally ceded to Britain, and 16 years later, in 1831, Berbice, the last of what is known today as the three counties was merged into British Guiana, thereby ending Dutch rule.
British Guiana remained under British control until1966. Four years later, on February 23, 1970, the country became a republic and was formally recognised as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, having as its first Executive President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, who ruled until his death in August 1985.
The SMGA thanked sponsors of the 53rd Independence celebrations Winair, Motorworld, NAGICO, St. Maarten Concrete, Sun Insurance, Rapid Construction, Semple’s Restaurant and Bar, Sax Car Rental and 592 Sports Bar, amongst others.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/87514-several-activities-to-mark-guyana-s-53rd-anniversary-of-independence
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