The Premier’s Cup Golf Tournament Committee presented three local charities with much needed funds to assist them with their considerably demanding mandates.
Members of the Premier’s Cup Committee are pictured with charity recipients at the presentation ceremony
The three charities are the Turks and Caicos Islands Cadet Corps, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme and the Turks and Caicos Islands Drug Prevention Foundation.
The Cadet Corps pocketed $15,000; while the Drug Prevention Foundation and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme each received $7,500.
Dierin Longmire (right), President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Drug Prevention Foundation, and Edith Skippings (left), Deputy President, accept the check from President of the Premier’s Cup Committee, Mervin Cox
Mervin Cox, President of the Premier’s Cup at the recent presentation at the Provo Golf Club said that the funds was from the staging of the 2019 tournament, since the annual event was forced to scrap in 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, 2020, we did not have a Premier’s Cup. So, these checks are from the 2019 tournament,” Cox revealed.
“We had a golf tournament, we call it Scramble, and we raise the funds from it.”
Cox, who had been the president for the last four years, stated that he would demit office this year and make way for a new president, as the committee operates at the pleasure of the premier. He believes his stewardship over the past four years was impacting.
“Every time there is a new premier they change the board, so it is hard for me to say what will happen this year. For the last four years I was the president. This year it will be turned over to whomever the premier will make president of the board.
“My stewardship over the last four years was very good. I had a good team working together with me, and I was very happy to do it. And if I am called on to do it again, I would do it again,” Cox stated.
Jasmine Thomas, Director of Youth Affairs and Head of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme for the TCI accepts a cheque from President of the Premier’s Cup Committee, Mervin Cox
Jasmine Thomas, Director of Youth Affairs, and Head of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme said the funds would help to meet some of the demands of the popular outfit.
“First, I would like to thank the Premier’s Cup, and secondly I would like to say that I am extremely elated, because considering that we are a governmental organization, and most times you know that governmental organizations get overlooked for funding and donations and so forth.
“However, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Programme is an extremely important programme because it is one of the largest programmes worldwide, where young people get an opportunity to get informal education and skills.
“So, it is extremely important for us to have the funding to back the activities that the particular programme needs to get out there.
“These monies that we receive will help to equip students with the skills that they need, the adventurous journeys, such as kayaking or perhaps going into the field, or even going into North Caicos for the day, to do their expeditions and so forth,” she said.
Nimrol Beckles, Deputy Commander of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cadet Corps, accept a cheque from Mervin Cox, President of the Premier’s Cup Committee
For his part, Nimrol Beckles, Captain of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cadet Corps and Deputy Commander, said that the funds would go towards the purchasing of a vehicle for the Grand Turk branch of the entity.
“I am very happy on behalf of the Commandant and the Turks and Caicos Islands Cadet Corps…thank you very, very much for this donation. It will go a long way in helping the TCI Cadet Corps. I can say to you now that this will go towards the Alpha or Grand Turk branch in helping them with the purchase of a new vehicle to assist them up there. They are in serious need of a vehicle, so we are going to do our best to get it over to them,” Beckles said.
He told the gathering that the cadet corps is vital to the development of young people.
“We are involved in, basically molding young people, getting them to a point where they can be future leaders. It entails some rigorous activities from time to time. We are part of the Caribbean Cadet Association. So we mingle and interact with Cadets throughout the Caribbean.
“We go on summer camps. We have been to a few different Islands, about five different islands. So we are basically getting the kids ready to take up leadership roles in tomorrow’s society,” Beckles pointed out, noting that there are approximately 115 cadets spread across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Dierin Longmire, President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Drug Prevention Foundation, along with Edith Skippings, her deputy, were equally elated to collect the funds on behalf of their organization.
Longmire said the funds will go towards the construction of a halfway house that would assist with rehabilitation of incarcerated persons, especially.
For her part, Skippings, who is also part of the committee, revealed that the Premier’s Cup Committee, since returning from its dormancy eight years ago, has had the Cadet Corps as one of its recipients, saying that they have what she described as a very large wish-list.
“We have been working down that wish list. We have actually purchased the vehicle that they have here in Providenciales, when we were the committee under Hon. Rufus Ewing. We also purchased all their band equipment under the Hon. Rufus Ewing.
“And I am happy to report that under the last premier, Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, we were able to donate $30,000 to the Cadet Corps, which will go towards the purchasing of the Grand Turk vehicle. So they would have two vehicles in their possession, which was purchased by the Premier’s Cup Committee, which I think is a fabulous and great accomplishment for the Committee,” Skippings beamed.
She added: “We are trying not to remove them from being a recipient until their wish-list has been completed. So, I think under the patronage of the new premier, Hon. Washington Misick, he will be able to look at the wish-list. But the final decision lies with him as to who he thinks should be the recipients. But I am hoping that he would be able to leave them there until their wish-list is completely empty.”
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