ARTSETC is known mainly for its involvement in the arts in Barbados but we love it when we also get to explore the “et cetera” side of what we do.
When the Lodge School announced it was sending two
teams to the Penn Relays 2012 in the United States as reward for their performance
at inter-school sports in Barbados, and for learning experience, we reckoned it was the perfect scope for such an adventure and jumped at
the opportunity to help send the athletes on their way.
ArtsEtc donated long-sleeved T-shirts for the athletes,
coaches and accompanying parents to wear in Pennsylvania. The shirts were
presented at full school assembly on Monday, the day before the teams
travelled. Also at the presentation were fellow sponsors Williams Industries,
who sponsored the squad’s polo shirts. (Interestingly, Williams Industries,
through its subsidiary Williams Metals, is a former advertising sponsor of
ArtsEtc—just one of many supporters that have enabled us, in turn, to extend a
helping hand to a worthwhile venture.
And that is exactly how ArtsEtc views the achievements of
the Lodge School relay teams. “We were keen to support the boys’—not because
they were doing well but because they were working hard, doing something
positive and that effort deserves to be encouraged and developed,” said ArtsEtc
co-founding editor Linda M. Deane, who presented the shirts to the school.
“Sport has played such a significant role in Barbados’
recent social history. It is part of our cultural heritage and a vibrant and vital
part of our contemporary cultural environment, especially at the schools’
level. It is something we, as an arts and cultural company, continue to address
artistically. But also, through support of the Lodge School’s track programme, is
something we are addressing in a hands-on way, too.”
Penn Relays, an annual event, is the oldest and largest
track and field competition in the United States, attracting teams from all
over the world. This year it runs from April 27-29. The Lodge School’s nine-man
squad left for Pennsylvania on Tuesday, accompanied by coaches Mr. Jamal
Grosvenor and Mrs. Anne Hinds-Butcher, and will return May 1.
ArtsEtc wishes them well. Kick it out, boys—and thanks!
Above and below: Mr. John Francis of Williams Industries and Linda M. Deane of ArtsEtc Inc. presenting shirts to the teams. |
Wishing the team a safe journey and success at the Relays.
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