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Sunshine Girls await massive send-off - Best Dressed Chicken plans roadshow for girls headed to Netball Champs

Published:Thursday | June 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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Christopher Levy (third left), president and CEO of the Jamaica Broilers Group, poses after presenting a sponsorship cheque to Marva Bernard (right), president of the Jamaica Netball Association, at a function held recently at the Jamaica Broilers office at McCook's Pen to announce a $20.6-million sponsorship of the Sunshine Girls. Also participating in the presentation are (from left) Anna Kay Griffiths, Sunshine Girl and employee of Jamaica Broilers; Nadine Bryan, Sunshine Girls captain; David Mair (partially hidden), vice-president, Best Dressed Chicken operations, Cordia Panton-Williams, brand manager, Best Dressed Chicken, and Oliver Mair, sales and marketing manager, Best Dressed Chicken. - photo by Leighton Levy
DJ Nicholas
Card Unit
Prodigal Son
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Jamaicans will have an opportunity on Sunday to acknowledge and celebrate Jamaica's high-ranking netball team, the Sunshine Girls, as a massive road-show is being planned for them.

The girls are to make their way to Montego Bay by bus to catch their flight to Singapore for the World Netball Championships 2011 in the evening.

The roadshow, which is being coordinated by Best Dressed Chicken, a $20.6-million sponsor of the Sunshine Girls, will begin in Mandela Park, Half-Way Tree, at approximately 8:30 a.m.

The event will involve a one-hour praise-and-worship event, led by the Reverend Peter Garth. DJ Nicholas will also perform at the venue, and the Sunshine Girls will also be officially 'prayed off' on their journey before the session ends at 9:30 a.m.

A town crier will be used to invite Jamaicans to be a part of the special tribute to the Sunshine Girls.

An attention-grabbing music truck will also move ahead of the Best Dressed Chicken-branded bus which will be transporting the netballers and that convoy will stop at strategic points along the way. A five-minute 'rolling stop' at Ewarton - the hometown of Sunshine Girl Malysha Kelly - is included on that list, and she will come in for some special recognition from residents of the community at that time.

Special concert

At Priory Beach in St Ann, there will be a 30-minute stop, during which there will be a concert, led by Prodigal Son (See related story on D2), with Voicemail and Card Unit - the 2010 winners of 'Dancing Dynamites' - also slated to perform at that venue. It will provide yet another opportunity for well-wishers to show their appreciation for the Sunshine Girls.

Jamaica's Sunshine Girls are currently ranked No. 4 in the world, but the team is highly touted to improve that ranking significantly at the early July championships.

The team, which Technical Director Jill McIntosh believes has the requisite technique and skills to emerge as 2011 World Champions, recently drew a series with World No. 2-ranked team Australia and defeated World No. 3 team, England.

The Sunshine Girls have also established an impressive track record since they first participated in the first World Netball Championships in 1963 - a mere one year after Jamaica became independent. The Girls have since placed third in the 1991, 2003 and 2007 World Championships.

In addition to funding and planning the roadshow, Best Dressed Chicken is supporting the initiative with media advertisements which will outline the route, while giving details of what will be taking place at the brief stops along the way.