In a brief presentation on Wednesday morning, May 29th, past students of the Morris Vanterpool Primary School presented the current students three lunch benches with attached tables and roofs. Temporary accommodation for the MVPS is now being provided in rented facilities following Hurricane Irma.
According to Mr. Tashim Fleming, who spear-headed the presentation of the lunch booths, he visited the school on several occasions and saw the children eating their lunch in the heat of the sun. A result he was moved to do something to alleviate the situation.
He added: “After I realized that the kids eating in the sun was such a problem, I contacted some of my old classmates and explained the situation as I saw it. They jumped on board with the idea of building the lunch booths at once.”
In accepting the gifts from the class of 2005, the Principal, Ms. Paula Etienne said: “I am pretty impressed. It is so good when young people can give back, and the generosity of the class of 2005 is just overwhelming. It is a big difference to be sitting comfortably and eating, instead of doin in the sun. These young men and women remembered what it is to be grateful and to contribute this essential help to their school. I want to applaud them and thank them very much.”
On hand for the presentation was the government’s elected representative of the East End constituency, Minister of Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge. She remarked: “I am so proud of the class of 2005. They really considered the need for these lunch stalls and came out to make a difference at Morris Vanterpool. On behalf of the East End community, I want to heartily thank them for such a generous gesture.”
Mr. Murray “Traff’ Harrigan is an outstanding member of the East Community, and he had a 19-year-old son, Marlon, who was part of the class of 2005. Marlon died tragically a couple years in a traffic accident. As his friend, Tashim Fleming thought it would be good to commemorate him as one of the class’s peers by presenting his dad with a memorial stone in his honour. In fact, the lunch booth near the entrance of the school also bears a memorial plaque in Marlon’s memory.
The lunch booths were blessed by Pastor Norril Gumbs, who, himself, was a past student at the MVPPS.
