Having a good time at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) fund-raising event, are from left: Conrad Spencer, engineer at the Holiday Inn Resort; Richard Burke, chairman of the JHTA Montego Bay chapter and Sergo Buissereth, director of engineering at the Rose Hall Resort. - Photos by Noel Thompson

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), has scored another success with its annual fund-raiser event.

This year, it was held on the beautifully manicured lawns of The White Witch Clubhouse in Rose Hall, Montego Bay last Saturday.

No one could resist the velvety voice of Ocho Rios-based cabaret performer, Keddy-Ann Batson, who was accompanied by Brimsley Ambursley on keyboards.

In her hour-and-a-half performance, Batson rendered hit songs from Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Bill Withers, Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston.

The event organisers said they intended to raise at least $300,000 from this year's staging. The money will go towards a project at the SOS Children's Village in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, as well as assisting with an education programme for boys living on the streets of the second city.

"We had an outreach programme where we were working towards giving the street boys an education, but the programme stopped due to a lack of funds. So we are hoping to restart the project in another two months and work with it," said Richard Burke, chairman of the JHTA's Montego Bay chapter.

"We hope that this will be a signature event and we look forward to your patronage every year," Round Hill Resort's general manager, Omar Robinson, told the gathering.

The event usually takes the format of several hotels on the north coast decorating their booths and serving up scrumptious meals and fine spirits to patrons for a cover charge - all the proceeds going to charities inSt James.

Hotel of the Year: Kevin Hendrickson of the Knutsford Court and Courtleigh Hotel and Suites (right) accepts his award from Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).

Katrina Marner (left), a student at the Western Hospitality Institute in Montego Bay, pours wine for Oscar Garcia, an employee at Ibero Star Resort, at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) fund-raising event, at The White Witch Clubhouse in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, on Saturday, June 27.

Altamont West Hotel director, Donnahue Jarrett seems rather thirsty for all of two martinis, at the JHTA event.