Boat fest for Kingston and St Andrew Homecoming Week
ABOAT fest and a crazy bike show are among the many activities to take place during the second staging of the Kingston and St Andrew Homecoming Week, from November 18 to 25 The two events, organised by the Kingston and St Andrew Homecoming Development Foundation, in collaboration with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, will be held on Sunday, November 25, at the Kingston waterfront, commencing at 12 noon and ending at 7 p.m.
Chairman, Kingston and St Andrew Development and Homecoming Foundation Limited and Custos of Kingston, Steadman Fuller, said another activity, the Student Motivation and Empowerment Programme, began on October 22 with persons in leadership positions being asked to speak to students from 40 schools within the parish of Kingston and St Andrew.
He said the plan is to expose the students to things of value and to give motivation so they know how they should conduct themselves, and how they can really live creatively and positively in their communities.
Since the launch of the programme, he said that Prime Minister Andrew Holness has completed an empowerment session at Pennwood High School in West Central St Andrew.
“We booked him for one event, but because he did so well, we will see if we can get him to speak to some other students,” he said, adding that former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and other distinguished persons in the parish will be asked to speak at these sessions.
OVER 50 BOATS
Fuller pointed out that the boat fest will involve more than 50 boats parading the Kingston Harbour from Port Royal to Victoria Pier, and back to Port Royal.
“This is the first time, and we hope it will be an attraction for many persons. We expect to get a big turnout. It is not only for fun, but also for education, so we will have a narrator to speak about the harbour and on environmental and marine issues,” he said.
Fuller noted that boats belonging to the Royal Yacht Club and fisherfolk will participate in the display.
He said Ocean Boulevard will also be transformed into a festival village, featuring food and craft, a kiddies’ village, exhibitions and demonstrations by the Caribbean Maritime University and the shipping and maritime industries.
There will also be an entertainment package as well as a music festival showcasing Jamaica’s leading performers, Fuller added.
The chairman said the Homecoming Week will begin with a thanksgiving service on Sunday at the Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre, 104 Waltham Park Road, Kingston.
The foundation is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation established in 2016. It aims to mobilise and encourage Kingston and St Andrew citizens to use the human and financial resources of the two parishes for the development of the economic, educational, cultural and social capacity of the people.