Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

Tia Butler, Los Angeles, California, client relations manager for North America and Canada for Stila Cosmetics, chats with Robert DeSouza, CEO and managing director of Trans-Continental Express Shippers, at the Upliftment Jamaica pre-gala event. Mr. DeSouza was being recognised for his contribution to the organisation. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Upliftment Jamaica whetted the people's appetite last Friday evening with their pre-gala event at the gardens of the Jamaica Pegasus.

Special guests included Hill Harper, who plays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the popular TV show CSI New York. The actor said early that day he gave 80 copies of his motivational book, Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Through Destiny, to some youngsters.

"Too many of our young men think their worth is linked to the size of their rims or their Rolex and I want to teach them there is a better way," Harper said, elaborating that he hoped his visit would make a difference.

Under the theme, 'Eradication of Poverty through Education', the eight-year-old organisation preceded their annual gala event with cocktails in Kingston, leading up to the grand gala last Saturday in St. Thomas.

The mood, while relaxed, was rather serious, with executives from the organisation reflecting on their goals. "This year it was a lot of rebuilding," said Gary Foster, chairman of Upliftment Jamaica. However, he said they have been focusing on finding sustainable options to eradicate poverty.

Gary Foster (left), chairman of Upliftment Jamaica, greets Dr. Cecil Batchelor, senior medical officer at the Princess Margaret Hospital, while Joeith Johnson, former executive director of the organisation, looks on.