By Janet Silvera, Gleaner Writer
The soca train gave way for fun and excitement at the Sugar Cane Carnival at Round Hill Hotel on Saturday night. - Photos By Janet Silvera
WESTERN BUREAU:
NOBODY PAID attention to the dress code last Saturday night. This Valentines the Hanover Charities (HC) Annual Sugar Cane Carnival organisers focused on the rich Jamaican cultural heritage and topping a net profit of US$120,000.
In the midst of the money making venture, an array of food stations surrounded a makeshift sugar cane plantation, dressed by fruits of the land; within the cane field was a 'Dutchie' with fried dumplings and festival, accompanied by a fireside seated with roasted yam and saltfish.
The scene at the Round Hill Hotel and Villas was 'Old Time Jamaica': a time when hot chocolate was allowed to have the oil seeping on the top, when roasted corn burned the fingers and jerk chicken and pork knew only the flavour of dried pimento wood.
At one end of the property, mannish water, Middle Quarters-styled peppered shrimp, brown stewed oxtail, codfish run down, curried goat, escoveitched carrots, dasheen and cho cho salad played havoc with the eyes, titillated the taste buds and massaged the digestive organs.
For the largest charitable organisation in western Jamaica, it was that time to fete the appetites, while at the same time raise as much money as possible to improve the quality of life for the parish dubbed, 'Cinderella.'
More than 60 charities wait each year for the 'profits' to be announced. Several soup kitchens, education and health facilities have come to revere the Hanover Charities.
A lot of planning goes into the theme and the entertainment each year, so off went the organisers to metropolitan Kingston, and back they came with the versatile Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, group, Dance Works. Topped with a uniquely different and exceptionally party band, good at coercing a crowd to 'get on bad' the Unique Vision with Gem Myers at the control, commanded the hip movements of the large group that turned out. At the end of a beautiful evening, seven lucky persons had won prizes including, a Talis antique Jamaican map valued at US$500.00, a one week midsize, four door car rental package - courtesy of United Car Rental, two round trip tickets courtesy of Air Jamaica and a four days-three nights at the Five Diamond Resort Ritz Carlton, Las Vegas.
The big prizes, however, were an 18 karat gold Bucherer lady's wrist watch, the coveted US$5,000 Ralph Lauren Gift Certificate, which was won by Round Hill 50-year veteran staff, Audrey Knott and the US$10,000 one week, Villa Santai, Bali vacation.
Kudos to chairman Paula Watkins, vice-vhairman, Katrin Casserly and Committee members Sue McManus, Simone Maffessanti, Veronique Pittman and Honorary Board Member, Bettie Phillips.
Those in attendance included, Ritz Carlton's Verona Carter fresh from her Indian Pilgrimage, Tropicana's Shobhu and Kichin Samtani, Khiatani Tajmahal's Sunil and Sheila Khiatani, Bijoux's Denny and Veena Chandiram, Doctor's Cave Beach Hotel's Betty McGann, Chairman of the Ball John Kearney and Christine Gayle and Jamaica Tourist Board's Norma Taylor.
I can still hear Round Hill's managing director, Josef Forstmayr's voice on the microphone pleading to donors for more, "we must top the US$120,000 we made last year!"
