On Saturday 3rd August, the streets of South Valley were adorned with colour as many persons came out to support the street fair and patronize the vendors selling various items at their stalls.
Speaking during the opening ceremony Elected Representative for Valley South, Evan Gumbs, said the South Valley Street Fair was a positive move in the right direction, and that a fest of this kind was needed in all communities – noting it can be one way for everyone to unite.
He went on:
“Anguilla is very small – 35 square miles and we need unity. This is not the Anguilla that we knew when I was growing up. Everybody was united. We didn’t have any war East against West or anything of that nature. But South Valley is on the right track and I’ll just like to encourage the people to work together as a community, continue to build up Anguilla. This is not about me. Let us continue to work together.”
ICT/Operations Manager at Digicel Colwayne Pickering commended the organizers of the South Valley Street Fair for their commitment to supporting their heritage.
Ms Joan Carty
He described the creation of the fair as a community effort in demonstrating the island’s rich cultural heritage. He said the effort of the organizers was a good way of showing love to each other and creating a feeling of togetherness. He added:
“It is known that South Valley is unique in that it is not only a village – it’s a family which amplifies one of the goals of Digicel which is to bring families and people together.”
According to Pickering, “Digicel truly supports culture – thus supporting this event is a just a small way in which this goal is exemplified. And Digicel believes that with such partnerships it can contribute toward the development of social and cultural development of the community”.
Digicel has sponsored the South Valley street fair since its inception in 2011.
During the ceremony two stalwarts – Ms Alice Gumbs and Ms Joan Carty – were recognized for their contribution to the community. Alice received a special gift for being one of the oldest mothers in South Valley. Ms Carty, who is a retired nurse, still volunteers her services when needed, and is also well-known for active work in Girl Guiding for nearly 60 years.
Among persons attending the opening ceremony was Her Excellency the Governor Christina Scott.
