Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4507/-1/140/
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Anguilla Day Celebration In Hand
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A committee hand-picked by the Chief Minister’s Office and headed by Permanent Secretary, Foster Rogers, is putting together a comprehensive programme for the celebration of Anguilla Day, the 40th Anniversary of the island’s revolution.
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Some members of the Anguilla Day Committee
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The committee met on Tuesday this week when Mr. Rogers presented a draft outline of the proposed activities and invited several members to speak on their particular area of responsibility.
Information given by Education Officer (Primary) Veda Harrigan, showed that school children will be heavily involved in the programme. She said both the Comprehensive School and the Primary Schools will be participating in varied events throughout the month of May.
The activities include visits to Heritage Collection Museum, school-based parades carrying images of the heroes of the revolution; talks in schools about the revolution; writing biographies of local heroes; a flag raising ceremony; a re-enactment of past cultural activities in Anguilla; displays of local traditional foods for the children to see and taste; radio jingles; the Anguilla Day quiz; and a parade of all schools with children singing songs of the revolution.
May 3 will be the National Day of Prayer, now in its seventh year, which is being organised by Methodist Minister Cecil Weekes. There are perhaps up to ten different churches which will be participating and all the island’s radio stations which will broadcast the devotions and prayers of various individuals and groups from the House of Assembly. This will go on from early in the morning until about 7 pm. There is a core committee of seven persons, including pastors and lay representatives, and a full decision-making committee involved in planning the National Day of Prayer.
Seymour Hodge spoke on behalf of the Anguilla Sailing Association with regard to the Anguilla Regatta, which is one of the activities. He said there would be three days of yacht and boat racing at Sandy Ground. The races will include several categories of yachts and there will also be a race involving the Anguilla boats with mixed crews. It will be the Fifth Anguilla Regatta - a joint effort between the Anguilla Sailing Association and the Anguilla Tourist Board. Prizes and trophies will be decided on later.
Commissioner of Social Development, Sanford Richardson, spoke of an honouring programme for persons in the community being arranged by his department.
Director of Sports, Alkins Rogers, gave information on a number of sporting activities being organised. The events will include a mini netball tournament involving teams from such islands as Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla on the weekend of May 18-20. On May 26 will be a sport meet between Anguilla and French and Dutch St. Maarten. There will be 98 participants and officials from all three territories. The events will include football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and athletics. There may also be a half-marathon and a family domino competition. On May 27 will be a cycle race starting just outside Cable & Wireless and travelling on a route yet to be fully determined. On May 31 will be the round-the-island boat race. Some 13 boats are expected to participate. The first prize will be US$1,100; second prize, US$1,000; third prize, US$900; fourth prize, US$800; and fifth prize, US$600. There will also be trophies including the main one – the Chief Minister’s Trophy.
The publication of a special 40th Anniversary Commemorative Magazine is in course of preparation. This was reported on by Director of Information and Broadcasting, Kenneth Hodge, who heads a committee of various persons. He appealed to various persons who were requested to submit feature articles to do so as soon as possible. He was grateful to the business community for sponsorship support, noting that the printing of the full colour gloss magazine was expected to be met entirely from advertising funds. He also appealed for old photographs which could be significant features in the magazine.
Other planned Anguilla Day activities include a Youth Forum; a Talent Teen Competition sponsored by Digicel; Prayers of Thanksgiving in Churches and the reading of Anguilla Day Messages; a fun day for children on Whit Monday, May 28; a local calypso show; an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service; a Ceremonial Parade at the Webster Park; the Chief Minister’s Ball and a Gospel Concert.
The Anguilla Day Committee involves a number of other persons in addition to those named above and having responsibility for various activities.