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Indeed ... 'The Loveliest Night of the Year',

Published:Sunday | November 24, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Self-made multimillionaire, Amos Winbush III (right), his wife, Tiffany (left), and president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Evelyn Smith.-Photo by Janet Silvera
Ky-An Henton, of the Montego Bay Convention Centre, looked royal in this blue dress.
Exclusinve Holidays' Fred Smsith and his sons Jourdan (left) and Jamie, who made their gala debut
From left: Katharina Doehler, general manager, RIU Ocho Rios, Frank Sondern, and Angella Bennett, RIU Montego Bay, at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association gala at Half Moon, A Rock Resort, last Saturday night.
From left: Attorney-at-law Cleveland Allen with Flow's Tanikie McClarthy and Andrew Fazio.
From left: Attorneys-at-law Alando Terrelonge and Camille Royes share lens time with Digicel's Germaine Phillips.
Evelyn Harrington, CEO of Fargo Electronics, dancing up a storm at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association gala at Half Moon, A Rock Resort on November 16.
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Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:The cocktail hour was 30-minutes long, and the speeches were kept to a minimum - because it was all about the entertainment, and it rocked!

Combining the island's woman of soul, Karen Smith, with the youthful energy of the Pace Band was the perfect formula for the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association's (JHTA) charity fundraiser, 'The Loveliest Night of the Year', held at the Half Moon Conference Centre in Montego Bay on Saturday, November 16.

Surpassing all expectations and eroding any idea of a boring gala, the island's hoteliers and their partners had a ball while raising funds for their charity fund.

The event, which had more dancing than anything else, featured a silent auction of hotel stays and attraction passes. The guest speaker for the night was Amos Winbush III, the youngest CEO in the tech industry, and founder of CyberSynchs, a United States-based multimillion-dollar technology firm.

The black-tie affair enticed women to don their best gowns and men - dapper-looking suits, while cognisant of the fact that the ultimate aim was transforming the lives of former wards of the state. In partnership with the Child Development Agency, these youngsters are awarded scholarships to tertiary institutions.

There was no doubt that the night belonged to the cause, and hoteliers Josef Forstmayr and Omar Robinson made sure no one forgot this, while JHTA president, Evelyn Smith, cemented the sentiment - "uplifting the lives of the adults of tomorrow - our children".

Smith revealed that hundreds of children exit state care each year when they reach the age of 18. "Most have known no other life than that of being in a children's home. It is estimated that at least half of them have the required academic background to pursue tertiary education, but are unable to because of the absence of support," she added.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com