From left to right: Grand Prize winner Khalilah Newton, Carifta 2011 100M Bronze Medalist Nelda Huggins, Foundation Member Craig Lake, 2012 Carifta Team Member Shaquoy Stevens and 2012 Carifta Team Captain Tarikah Warner. Photo: BVI Athletics Foundation

According to Chairperson of the Foundation Ms. Anthea Smith, all of the proceeds from the raffle were donated to the 2012 BVI Carifta Games team.

The raffle was drawn on the final day of the 2012 Elmore Stoutt High School Track and Field Championships. The winning tickets were pulled by BVI Carifta Games 2012 Team Captain, Tarikah Warner and BVI Carifta Games 2011 100m Bronze Medalist, Nelda Huggins.

Khalilah Newton won the First Prize, which was a Round Trip Airfare to Bermuda for Two (2) plus $500 spending cash while Geraldine Smith won the Second Prize of a 32” Flat Screen Television.

Ms. Smith said the raffle received overwhelming support from the public to which the Foundation is very grateful for and said it has other fundraising activities in the pipeline and would hope that the support from the public would continue.

The BVI Athletics Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is to charitably assist the sport of athletics in the BVI for the benefit of its related Associations, individuals or organizations meeting established criteria, in order to perpetuate the development and promotion of athletics. The mission statement of the Foundation is “Taking BVI Athletics to Another Level!”

The Foundation members are Miss Anthea Smith, Miss Michele Blyden, Hon Archibald “Archie” Christian – all former athletes – and Mr Craig Lake, radio personality and voice of the youths.

The main objectives of the Foundation are (i) to provide financial assistance to athletes, administrators, coaches and national athletic associations; (ii) to promote knowledge of the history of athletics in the BVI and the sport in general; (iii) to support projects which fall within the scope of activities supported by the Foundation; and (iv) to foster national pride through the sport of athletics.

The 2012 Action Plan for the Foundation, which was formed late last year, includes meetings on the Sister Islands to gather feedback and foster dialogue in relation to the sport of athletics; establishing a National Ambassador Programme aimed at promoting national pride and grooming youths (representing the territory locally, regionally and internationally) in public speaking and presentation, sportsmanship etc.

Another focus of the Foundation at this stage is to raise the funding necessary to carry out its projects.

The Foundation is soliciting monetary donations/pledges and volunteers from the public and can be contacted at bviathleticsfoundation@gmail.com for further information.