Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer 
Erwin Burton, chief operating officer of the Food Trading Division at GraceKennedy, congratulates the honouree, Lowell Hawthorne, O.D. (left), at the reception for Mr. Hawthorne.
ON MONDAY evening, despite the inclement weather that ruled the skies outside, inside Ballroom Two of the Hilton Kingston Hotel, the mood was wholly celebratory. Festivities were in order, as Lowell Hawthorne, O.D., founder and CEO of Golden Krust Bakery and Grill in New York, celebrated with friends and family the recognition he received at the National Honours and Awards ceremony held earlier that day.
"Lowell is an entrepreneur who took a dream and built an empire of 100 stores across the United States with that same dream. Today the Government of Jamaica and its people bestowed upon his humble shoulders, the Order of Distinction," said the master of ceremonies Norma Brown-Bell. She described the Hawthorne family as "... a close-knit family whose list of accomplishments and involvement both locally and abroad is quite impressive."
Bishop Leroy Hawthorne gave the blessing, his sister, the director of franchise operations at Golden Krust Bakery and Grill, Lorraine Hawthorne-Morrison, introduced the guests to the entire clan who came out to show support for their own. She said, "We are very proud of you. You are a true testament to the potential of Caribbean people, and Jamaicans in particular."
ROOTS OF SUCCESS
In his response, Mr. Hawthorne attributed much of his success to others, particularly his father Ephraim Hawthorne and mother Mavis Hawthorne, his wife of 21 years, his four children, siblings, staff and franchisees. He noted frankly that while growing up in the country, he had never seen the awards ceremony because he didn't have a television, so to be a participant and a recipient was a true honour. The Order of Distinction, he said, is most special to him, of all he has ever been given, as, "nothing compares to being honoured at home."
He launched a new fund-raising effort, 'Pennies for Change', which he intends to raise a minimum of US$500,000, across all branches of Golden Krust, to fund the existing Mavis Hawthorne Scholarship and a franchising programme at the University of the West Indies.
Entertainment was provided by Ashe Ensemble and Marcia Davis, backed by Harold Davis and Friends. In her rendition of Someone Loves You, Mrs. Davis singled out Mr. Hawthorne and handed him the microphone. He proceeded to "wow" the guests with his musical prowess as he sang the chorus of the song.
