Anguilla received a facelift on May 24th and 25th when numerous groups, comprising dozens of people of varying ages and affiliations, turned out to remove litter from their communities. It has been several years since the island had a national clean-up campaign. Anguilla needed its citizens, as well as its environment, to dress up for the upcoming Anguilla Day. Almost all communities participated and had attended a briefing on May 21st at Rodney Rey Auditorium where Dr. Adams, Mr. Oliver Hodge and Mr. Leroy Richardson detailed the strategy and gave supplies.
Many persons began in the early morning hours with garbage bags and gloves, pulling cans, bottles and trash from along the roadsides. Volunteers as young as six years old gloved-up and enthusiastically joined in. This work which meant getting dirty and sweaty was tackled by a number of motivated community groups and individuals.
The groups included: Anglican Churches, Apostolic Faith Church-Blowing Point, Apostolic Faith Church-Valley, Casa de Oracion-Quarter, Central Baptist Church-Rey Hill, Christian Fellowship Church-Blowing Point, Church of God of Holiness-Stoney Ground, Church of God of Prophecy-West End, Citrus Group-East End, Conrad ‘Cutter’ Gumbs and Crew-Cauls Bottom, Conrad Rogers and Crew- Stoney Ground, Cuisinart Resort-Long Bay, Dennis Fleming and Crew-Long Bay, Dr. Adams and Crew-Farrington, Faith Dominion Centre-Valley, Faith Evangelical Outreach-North Side, Ilsia Sasso and Crew-Rey Hill, Johnno’s and Crew-Sandy Ground, Masjid Al Nur-Blowing Point, Merrick Richardson and Crew-North Hill, Methodist Churches, Nevon Connor and Crew-South Valley, New Life Ministries-Valley, Nurse Boy and Crew-North Valley, Nurse Irma Carty and Crew-North Side, Oliver Hodge and Crew-North Side, Othlyn Vanterpool and Crew- Welches, Pat Hodge and Crew-Sandy Ground, Pathfinders-East End, Project Haands-Island Harbour, and Zenaida Boys Home-Rey Hill.
Special thanks to all our Sponsors
ABC Supplies, ACE Hardware, Anguilla Gases, APEX utilities, Ashleys Supermarket, Bennie and Sons, Central Superette, Cuisinart Resort, Environmental Club ALHCS, Environmental Health Unit, Hodge Medical Center, Hughes Medical Center, JW Proctors Supermarket, Medicines and More Pharmacy, Mega Savers, Mingz Supermarket, Romcan Supermarket, Tropical Distributors and Wigleys Chambers.
This project to enhance environmental health may become an annual event, although it is hoped that anti-litter advocacy will reduce the need for clean-up. The commendable effort was led by the charity Anguilla People, which is known to cater to health concerns of the island. Anguilla People is a registered charity whose directors are Dr. Patvin Adams, Mr. Yanchie ‘Mayor’ Richardson, Dr. Paul Webster and Mr. Leroy ‘Bro. Lee’ Richardson
– Contributed
