Calvin Lloyd Powell (foreground), St. Catherine recipient of the Governor-General's Achievement Award, leads the audience's acknowledgement of singer Richie Stephens' song, 'Father I Love You', during yesterday's pinning ceremony at King's House in St. Andrew. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
THE hands went up in unison when singer Richie Stephens called for the audience to join him during his stirring rendition of Father I Love You, at yesterday's Governor-General's Achievement Awards pinning ceremony at King's House.
Stephens, the awardee for Westmoreland, went deep into his gut for the moving song, taken from his The Man Upstairs gospel album.
In a way, it was his tribute to the 14 persons who received pins for their contribution to the development of Jamaica's 14 parishes.
The recipients were nominated by civic leaders from their parishes and, as has been the case since the event's inception in 1991, the awardees hail from humble backgrounds.
Stephens, a popular singer, was cited for his annual Pot of Gold football competition which is credited with creating a sense of direction among youth in Westmoreland.
Launched in 1998, the Pot of Gold league started out with eight teams. The 2006 season, which started in October, has attracted 42 clubs.
"There is a prize for most disciplined team and that's important," Mr. Stephens said. "We want to make sure that the youths coming in can understand that the only way the competition can do as well as it's doing now is to maintain discipline."
Jeffrey McKitty, the St. Mary awardee, has worked in the hotel industry in Jamaica and the United States for over 35 years. He was recognised for his work among the youth and the indigent.
"Our community work includes a mentorship programme for boys from the Oracabessa Primary School and we took 16 of them whose grades were very low," Mr. McKitty told The Gleaner. "Today, those guys are scoring in the 80s and 90s."
Donald Williams (St. Andrew); Edith May Thomas (Clarendon); Laban Allan Roomes (Kingston); Dr. Horace Washington Hall (St. Thomas); Caswell Robert Daley (St. Elizabeth), Calvin Lloyd Powell (St. Catherine); Aileene Williams-Allison (Portland); Paul Wray Patmore (Trelawny); Pixley Irons (St. Ann); Rev. Owen Gordon (Manchester); Dorcas Leonie Roye (St. James) and Winfield Delano Murray (Hanover), complete the list of awardees.
Recognising excellence
During yesterday's function, a number of young persons representing the island's 14 parishes also received for their various achievements. The youth awards were added to the programme this year by Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall to recognise excellence among the nation's young people.
The Governor-General, in his speech yesterday, hailed sponsoring companies for their contributions to the programme. They are the Jamaica National Building Society, whose general manager Earl Jarrett chaired yesterday's event; the Victoria Mutual Building Society, FirstCaribbean International Bank, the Scotia Jamaica Building Society, and the Gleaner Company Ltd.
