By Calvin Roberts
Food for the Poor (FFP), a non profit organization yesterday made a donation of some cricket gear with a total value of G$1.8m, to some nine cricket clubs and Associations yesterday.
Receiving the equipment which consisted of bats, balls (5 ½ and 4 ¾ ounces), pads, stumps, helmets and wicket keeping pads were Everest Cricket Club, Ghandi Youth Organization, East Coast Cricket Association, Georgetown Cricket Club, Guyana National Industrial Corporation, Malteenoes Sports Club, Demerara Cricket Club, West Bank Demerara Cricket Association and Georgetown Cricket Association.
At a simple presentation ceremony held in the board room of their North Ruimveldt based office, chairman of the Organization Paul Chan-a –Sue told those gathered how delighted the organization was to be making such a donation to the cricket fraternity here in Guyana.
“From time to time, Food for the Poor have been delivering sports equipment to the sports fraternity here in Guyana with cricket being the beneficiary on most occasions. Today is no different, with some nine cricket clubs and Associations from Georgetown, East Coast and West Demerara benefitting” stated Chan-a Sue.
“There is also gear for junior players who are unable to handle the ones used by the seniors, especially the 5 ½ oz cricket ball. They can benefit by using the 4 ¾ oz balls until they are able to control the bigger one.”
Chan-a Sue further told the small gathering that included former Guyana and West Indies off spinner and now senior selector Clyde Butts, executive director of FFP Leon Davis along with representatives of the beneficiaries that his company would continue to make such gestures to the sporting fraternity in Guyana.
“We will be making such gestures in the future, as we believe through sports, young men and women can be better individuals in their community and Guyana on the whole. They can also be role models to other youths in their community even being more disciplined in their day to day livelihood.”
Davis also took the time to share a few words, congratulating Butts on his achievements in cricket.
“We at FFP are not here to criticize anything. Over the years we have spent millions of dollars making donations to the sporting fraternity here in Guyana in our attempt to promote sports, especially cricket and persons have been saying to us, that they have not been given the privilege to use these equipment. What we would like to see, is a cricket match between the clubs who are the beneficiary of these cricket gears, play a match using same” Davis further stated. “We have done so much, but when it comes to that game, once the relevant clubs can get same organized, we at FFP will see in what way we can further contribute to it whether it is donating the prizes or making a contribution in some other way.”
