Rainforest Seafood Festival a hit despite rain
Published:Friday | March 7, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Despite the rain, thousands of families turned out for the second annual Rainforest Seafood Festival at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex, Montego Bay, on Ash Wednesday.
The charity event, the biggest philanthropic undertaking for the Caribbean's largest suppliers of fish and seafood - Rainforest Seafoods, was the perfect way to kick-start for lent.
This year, the most popular booths were manned by the Middle Quarters vendors, who had escoveitch fish and peppered shrimp. The lines backed up for Seafood Market and the kiddie's village was also a hit with the young ones.
Aimed at raising $10 million for the We Care for Cornwall Regional Hospital project, the Ash Wednesday event saw seafood lovers from western Jamaica defy the rains, in support of a worthy cause.
Last year's staging
Last year, some 12,000 patrons walked through the turnstiles. The numbers are not yet in, but Rainforest Seafoods' Ernie Grant said he expected to hit the 15,000 mark.
"We are heartened by the support and feel we will make our mark," he told Today, as thousands sheltered under umbrellas.
For chief executive officer of Cornwall Regional, Anthony Smikle, the purchase of two adult ventilators, valued at $7 million, from the event's coffers would set his Intensive Care Unit straight.
Smikle said the ventilators are needed to help treat the hospital's critically ill patients.
"There are only three ICUs on the island, one at UWI, one at KPH and the other at Cornwall. We want to build up the unit, by complementing the ones we already have in use."