Annie Potts
A pair of blue swimming goggles, which an eight-year-old Anguillian boy, Kemarley Brooks, asked for, and obtained from American Actress Annie Potts, who travelled with them at Meads Bay, has resulted in such a fine relationship that she has written and illustrated a Children’s Book with him as the special feature.
The film and television actress, who loves Anguilla, is a regular visitor – returning to the island every summer for the past fourteen years. Her colourful book is adorned on the front cover with a photograph of Kemarley relaxing under a flowering flamboyant tree. The book, which tells Kemarley’s story, is being sold at various outlets, including hotels, at US$30 per copy, to raise well-needed funds for children with special needs in Anguilla. Greeting cards, based on the illustrations in the book, are also on sale.
Trudy Nixon, of True Communications and the PR person for the Children’s Foundation, arranged a press launch of the book at the Anguilla Tourist Board Conference Room on Tuesday this week. She wrote in the background information sheet: “The heartwarming book’s storyline sends a strong message of love and hope. Kemarley is a ‘special’ child and all proceeds from the sales will go to benefit special needs children in Anguilla via the Arijah’s Children Foundation.”
The Children’s Book was endorsed by the Anguilla Tourist Board through Ms Chantelle Davis, Deputy Director of Tourism. She expressed the Board’s appreciation for the love that was ignited between Kermarley and Actress Annie Potts, for ms Potts’ contribution of the Children’s Book featuring him, and the continued good relationship between visitors and the people of Anguilla in general.
Ms Renuka Harrigan, Founder of Arijah Children’s Foundation and Head of the Blossom Centre expressed delight with the introduction of the book to Anguilla as a tribute to the children and people of the island and as a fundraising effort. She also spoke about two other fundraising initiatives for special needs children. One is a tennis tournament which is to be held for the Foundation by Mr Michelle Lake of the Anguilla Tennis Academy on Saturday, February 8. Among those on the tennis court will be a child in a wheelchair, one in a walker, one walking independently and another walking with assistance. The second initiative is a fundraising brunch at Straw Hat Restaurant on a date to be announced later.
Mr Haydn Hughes, Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism and Sports, thanked Renuka Harrigan for her work in Anguilla which she started with her own challenged daughter and later extended her services to include other children on the island.
“The children at the Blossom Centre have more severe challenges than we have, and it was by divine intervention that Annie Potts came to Anguilla, met Kermarley and visited the Blossom Centre,” Mr Hughes said. “The Children’s Book is not only a fundraising venture for the Arijah Foundation. It is also a promotional mechanism for Anguilla, and it has a dual purpose. That is why I stand here – not only to support Renuka but the children of Anguilla. We have a lot of children in Anguilla with challenges. Some of them are kept in our homes locked away from the public, and we have to spread the word so that more parents would take them to the Foundation where some of the children have made tremendous progress. I thank Renuka from the bottom of my heart for what she is doing for Anguilla on a whole.”
Mr Hughes looked forward to the selling of all of the Children’s Book and greeting cards so that some of the required money could be raised to assist challenged children in Anguilla.
