- NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Harry Smith (left), chairman of the Digicel Foundation, hands over a cheque valued at $500,000 to Barbara Stewart (right), of the Westmoreland Association for Street People (WASP). WASP was awarded for receiving the most votes in the Digicel Dial-A-Charity competition at the Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Monday. Looking on is Beryl Stewart also from WASP.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY Digicel on Monday, June 12, handed over in excess of $4 million to charities islandwide that participated in the recent Digicel Dial-A-Charity promotion.
The major beneficiaries of that project were the Westmoreland Association for Street People, the Clarendon Group for the Disabled, 3D Projects, the Salvation Army (Port Antonio Corps) and the St. Andrew Branch of the Jamaica Red Cross. Each charity received $500,000 from Digicel during a press briefing at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
These groups ranked in the top five in terms of votes from the public in the competition which ran from April 18 to May 31.
Harry Smith, Digicel's chief customer relations director explained that not only the winners, but also all 14 charities that participated would benefit from Digicel's financing.
"Digicel will also be giving $100,000 to each of the remaining nine charities. This means that the company's direct donation to the charities will total some $3.5 Million," Smith disclosed.
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
The Dial-A-Charity promotion is one of the highlights of Digicel's fifth anniversary celebrations. "This year Digicel is celebrating its 5th anniversary, but we are giving our birthday gifts to the charities that have given and continue to give so much to the society," Smith pointed out.
David Hall, Digicel's CEO, is confident that the competition was a great way for all Jamaicans to celebrate and assist those organisations that have done so much for the less fortunate. He noted that at the core of Digicel's operations is its commitment to give back to the society.
"We are dedicated to touching peoples' lives in a positive way and helping to improve their quality of life," Hall said.
The charities outside the top five votes were:
Cornerstone Ministries, Kingston.Good Shepherd Foundation, St. James.BREDS, Treasure Beach Foundation, St. Elizabeth.Windsor Girls' Home, St. Ann.Salvation Army, Morant Bay Corps, St. Thomas.Trelawny Association of Voluntary Orgainisations, Trelawny. St. John Boscho Boys Home, Manchester.Friends of the Port Maria Hospital, St. Mary. West Haven Children's Home, Hanover.
