Gloudon steps up for children of Jamaica
Published: Wednesday | November 24, 2010
NEW YORK:
Social commentator,
journalist and radio talk-show host, Barbara Gloudon, will be special
guest at the 16th Annual Scholarship Gala of the New York-based Jamaican
charity Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc.
The event, which
takes place on December 4, will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,
LaGuardia Airport.
Proceeds from
the fund-raiser are used to provide scholarships and support for deserving
students and Jamaican childcare institutions in need.
Gloudon, a senior
journalist and playwright, is the author of Stella Seh, a satirical
look at the social and political environment of Jamaica in the 1970s.
Her many honours include the Order of Jamaica and the Order of Distinction,
as well as an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of the
West Indies, Mona.
She also chairs
the Little Theatre Movement (LTM). In her LTM capacity, she is a member
of the creative team that produces the annual LTM National Pantomime,
for which she has written more than 20 scripts.
This year's gala
dinner and awards is being held under the patronage of Jamaica's ambassador
to the United States, Audrey Marks. Among the 2010 honourees are The
Daily News; Cathleen Decker, vice-president of Lou Hammond &
Associates, which represents a major Jamaican hotel chain; Sharon
Locke, founder of Practical Solutions, an accounting firm; and Ruder
Finn, the public relations agency for the Jamaica Tourist Board.
For more than
a decade, the volunteer-driven organisation has supported a number
of institutions in Jamaica and the United States. Among them are the
Alpha Boys' Home; Glenhope Place of Safety; Marigold Child Care Centre,
Musgrave Girls' Home, City of Refuge and Summerfield Boys Home in
Jamaica; and in New York
, the Jamaica, Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life.
Founder and chairman
of COJO, Gary Williams, said: "In what has been a challenging
economic environment, it is heartening to see companies and individuals
still making a contribution towards enhancing the future - our children."
A number of corporate
entities, including JetBlue, have donated airline tickets as raffle
prizes, with The Jamaica Pegasus hotel and other Jamaican properties
provi-ding accommodation.
Tickets for the
annual gala are on sale now and can be obtained by contacting the
Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) office at 1-888- 275-0121.
For further information
about COJO, including sponsorship opportunities, visit www.cojokids.org
