Gloria Anslyn, director of the Nevis Branch of the St Kitts and Nevis Red Cross is currently spearheading a fundraising drive to upgrade and modernize the Branch Headquarters in Charlestown and to purchase a new all purpose vehicle, to replace the well-worn 15 year old bus.

Heading the fundraising events is the annual Red Cross J'ouvert Breakfast which is now the early morning "hot ticket" in the Culturama celebrations. Culturama is a festival of music, dance, food and all things Nevisian, which is held on the first Monday and Tuesday of August each year.

Many Nevisians view the celebrations as an opportunity for family reunions. The succuluent Red Cross breakfast starts at 7 am with a feast of salt fish and Johnny cakes, bush tea, coffee, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles, eggs, fish - any style, toast bakes, fruit and much more. Hungry early morning revelers who need to be revived know that all roads lead to Red Cross!

The Branch is looking to refurbish the upstairs Conference Hall, repaint the entire inside of the building and, among other things, renovate the store room with laundry facilities to accommodate persons using the building as an Emergency Shelter.

The aim of the Branch id to make the Conference Room so inviting and comfortable that it will attract many more clients, thus providing the Branch with a sustainable income so that members can prepare themselves to fulfill the true purpose of the Red Cross in their community.

Not to be outdone, the junior members of the Branch have started raising enough money to send three members to the Youth Camp in St Vincent in August. Their fundraising projects included a car wash, cake sale and variety concert and they are making more plans for future projects.