HMC gearing up for tree-lighting ceremony, Christmas treat

WESTERN BUREAU:

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels, who is also the chairman of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), is committed to bringing Christmas cheer to children in the western parish with a special treat.

The event, which will be staged as part of the mayor’s annual Christmas events, will cater to 1,000 children on December 20 at the HMC office complex.

The treat, which will get under way at 3 p.m., will be followed by the annual municipal Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.

AN OPEN INVITATION

“We are inviting Hanoverians to come out and enjoy these events and bring the children, as we seek to put smiles on the faces of 1,000 children,” said Samuels.

“I know that the COVID-19 protocols are still in place, so we will probably have to arrange and see that they are maintained,” added Samuels, in acknowledging the need for a safe environment.

He explained that the HMC does not intend to have all 1,000 children at the same location at the same time, with a plan developed to keep simultaneous treats in the main townships across the parish to reduce the likelihood of crowding.

“The towns of Hopewell, Sandy Bay, Lucea, and Green Island are the ones that stand to benefit more,” stated Samuels.

While the Christmas events are an initiative of the HMC, Samuels said they are primarily driven by a team of dedicated women working tirelessly to ensure they are successful.

The women highlighted by Samuels include Kenisha Stennett-Dunbar of the parish’s Office of Disaster Preparedness; Neika Edram, the inspector of poor for Hanover; Shiyan Williams, parish manager of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission; and Simone Douglas, the HMC’s director of procurement.

“The work and organisational skills that these women put into both events annually are nothing short of incomparable and invaluable,” said Samuels.

bryan.miller@gleanerjm.com