BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN a symbolic gesture of love and compassion, three local cricketers, Steve Liburd, Jacques Taylor and Shane Jeffers, on behalf of the Leeward Islands Hurricane Franchise, donated a quantity of foodstuff and toiletries to the St. Christopher Children’s Home.
The donation took place this morning (Sept. 25) with a simple ceremony at the Children’s Home on Cardin Avenue in the presence of Robert Jeffers, Secretary of both the Leeward Islands Cricket Board and the Leeward Islands Development Company.
Liburd handed over the items to the Chairman of the St. Christopher Children’s Home, Sebastian Mottram, who, on behalf of the children, the Home and its staff, thanked the Leeward Islands Hurricane Franchise for its generosity, noting that the gesture occurred at a time when the cricketers were very busy training for the upcoming cricket season.
“It takes a village to raise a child and it is through community donations and thoughts that a home like this can keep money. So we would like to commend the Leeward Islands Hurricane Franchise for their thoughtfulness and thank them from the bottom of our heart for their generosity and congratulate you on the amount that you raised. Well done and thank you.”
Reciprocally, Mottram, presented a plaque to Liburd, upon which the handprints of children within the Home were superimposed.
“On behalf of the Board, the children and staff of the Children’s Home, we would like to present you with this small token of our appreciation,” Mottram said.
Speaking to the media, Secretary Jeffers explained the reason for the donation and informed that the cricketers had raised EC1 000 to purchase the items.
“The Leeward Cricket Franchise is a professional league of cricketers who will be representing the Leeward Islands in the upcoming cricket season. And the cricketers thought that as a means of giving back to the community, the less fortunate, from one instance they collected some monies, they consulted with the Matron of the Home and they bought the supplies that you see here this morning.”
He stated that all players of the Leeward Islands Hurricane Franchise are currently in St. Kitts practicing for the league that is scheduled to commence in November.
Secretary Jeffers also stated that the Leeward Islands Development Company is a subsidiary of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board and that the cricketers are being paid by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
He explained that there are three categories under which the cricketers were contracted and they are in receipt of a monthly salary payable by the WICB.
The categories, he said, are A, B and C, with players in the A category receiving no less than US$27 000 per month.
