'Hats ON to Easter' keeps it going

Charity event beefs up 2011 offering

The hugely popular Hats ON to Easter returns for its 2011 showing on Sunday and will have its inaugural showing in the gardens of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel - its new home since the hotel joined the fund-raising event's suite of frontline sponsors.

Hats ON to Easter - which is presented under the distinguished patronage of Ambassador Madge Barrett and is intended to assist the education and health needs of children at risk - has the St Catherine-based Children First as the fund-raiser's primary beneficiary each year, although individuals and other organisations have also received assistance from funds raised at the annual event. Last year, the SOS Children's Village and Haiti were recipients.

The success of each year's event has been helped significantly by the sponsorship support of a variety of organisations and individuals, many of whom provide products and services either free of charge or at discounted prices.

Best Dressed Chicken and Reggae Jammin' have been the long-time title sponsors of Hats ON to Easter. Now, in addition to having The Jamaica Pegasus hotel align its influential brand to the event, Hats ON to Easter has also grown to attract support from COK Sodality Co-operative Credit Union, which this year became the event's first-ever cash sponsor.

impressive line-up

Cinderella Hats & Bridal House, whose 2010 showing won kudos for helping the organisers present the best-ever Hats ON to Easter, is back with an even more impressive line-up of newly styled hats. Additionally, proprietor Marcellas James is providing hats for use as prizes for several new competitions - including for the child who wears the winning hat in the Best Dressed Child Hat competition; for the couple who emerges winner from the Best Dressed Couple's Hat competition, and for the 3-Generation (Male and Female) competitions; examples of which are daughter, mother and grandmother or son, father, grandfather who participate in the Best Dressed generational competitions.

These will be in addition to the event's standard competitions such as the Most Innovative Hat competition, which invites patrons to create and wear their most outrageous hats!

Another major enticement should be the opportunity for fans of Hats ON to Easter to see the world-premiere showing of hats by master chef/décor specialist/painter and, now, hat maker Karl Hart.

"We feel that the addition of this Hatty-Hatty Man segment to our offering this year will prove quite delightful and we appreciate the fact that Karl decided to design these hats especially for our show," said Christine Ann Bell, founder of Innovative IDEAS - the communication agency which conceptualised Hats ON to Easter and presents it through the agency's charitable arm, Hearts 'N' IDEAS.

Singer-songwriter and trainer, Michael Sean Harris, and saxophonist Warren Harris are also down to perform.

Emcees for the show will comprise comedian Owen 'Blacka' Ellis and Deon Silvera.

Glen 'Titus' Campbell, accompanied by Gary Evans of Children First, will do duties as the event's DJs.

In addition to the impressive entertainment package, the cover charge of $2,000 for adults and $900 for children under 12 will also give patrons a meal courtesy of Best Dressed Chicken, prepared by their Show Chef Jacqui Tyson; dessert from a full dessert station, provided by The Jamaica Pegasus hotel; hot and cold coffee, courtesy of Jablum, and drink courtesy of Wisynco.

Models, including five top-10 finishers in the 2010 Miss Jamaica Universe Competition, as well as two of Jamaica's well-known actors and playwrights, will be onstage.