Jamaica Red Cross launches 60th Anniversary celebrations

Mr. Oliver Samuels, Jamaican comedian and actor is usually known for his cheerfulness and wittiness. But on Thursday January 24, the audience in the Belisario Room at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel saw a more serious side of Oliver as he stood before them in his capacity of Jamaica Red Cross Special Envoy.  

The occasion was a press conference to launch the Jamaica Red Cross 60th Anniversary celebrations and Mr. Samuels was among the supporters that came out to give his full support behind the organization which shares his birth year.

Among the list of activities launched, is the presentation of a special Humanitarian Award which will be conferred upon an individual from any walk of life (not necessarily a Red Cross member), deemed by the organization to have contributed significantly to the improvement of the quality of life of vulnerable people in Jamaica.

Nominations will be invited from the public for such an individual and the award will be presented at a Charity Ball scheduled for the end of October which will also generate funds to assist in the work of the Red Cross.

Other activities will include a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony to be held on World Red Cross Day on May 8 at which various awards will be distributed to exemplary volunteers and a Cultural Extravaganza scheduled for July where visual and performing arts will be showcased and Jamaican icons like Oliver Samuels will share in the celebration of our heritage.

At the Cultural Extravaganza, acknowledgements will be made of other Jamaican icons such as Ms. Yendi Phillips, Miss Jamaica World 2007, whose contribution to the Red Cross Dean Relief Operation, will be used to build a ‘Yendi Phillips house’ for one of the persons affected by Hurricane Dean and Mrs. Veronica Campbell-Brown, world Gold Medalist, who assisted persons affected by Hurricane Ivan.

Representatives from various partner agencies of the Jamaica Red Cross were on hand to share in the occasion including the Embassy of Spain’s Deputy Chief of Missions - Mr. Ignacio Sanchez Taboada; United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative - Mr. Bertand Bainvel; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Director - Mr. James Harmon and the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM) Director General - Mr. Ronald Jackson.

The partners all lauded the Jamaica Red Cross for the exemplary work it has carried out since its inception in 1948 and its keenness on working in partnership with other agencies for humanity.

Patron of the Jamaica Red Cross, the Governor General of Jamaica, His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, in his statement which was read by JRC’s Director General Yvonne Clarke, pledged his full support to the Jamaica Red Cross and its 60th Anniversary celebrations.

The Governor General will officially open and present the keynote address at the organization’s Biennial General Assembly in October.

The Jamaica Red Cross began as a branch of the British Red Cross in 1948, and was upon independence commissioned as a voluntary relief society in 1964 by an Act of Parliament.

Since then, the Jamaica Red Cross, which has a network of 13 branches island wide, has been serving the nation in areas such as disaster preparedness and response; youth empowerment; HIV & AIDS prevention, education and support; First Aid Training; Ambulance Coverage and providing a myriad of other services.

As an auxiliary to the government, the Jamaica Red Cross also provides support to numerous government agencies such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Ministry of Health and also partners with other agencies to help fulfil its mission of improving the lives of the most vulnerable.