‘Come back again!’

His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards, yesterday presented a $15,000 cheque to the All In One Development Centre in Beetham Gardens, Laventille. The funds were raised at the annual Max Richards and Friends premium all-inclusive Carnival fete earlier this year. In addressing the small gathering of community members, teachers and students, President Richards said: “The quantum of the cheque was dictated in a very large measure, by what we understood to be the immediate urgent financial needs of the centre. Since that time however, I have been given to understand that the needs are probably a little bit greater and with this in mind, I would wish really, on my own behalf to make a most minuscule contribution to the work of the school.”

The President’s personal contribution was another cheque for $5,000. He then praised the centre for the tremendous work being done, especially with very little, by the way of materials and financial resources. “It is therefore my hope that this visit today will in some way serve as a catalyst or a stimulus, which might encourage others to come to the assistance of what is a most worthy cause, or perhaps be even more generous than we have been,” urged the President. Principal of the Centre, Wayne Jordan Patrick profusely thanked the President after warmly welcoming him to the Centre. He described the visit as historical and the first of its kind since the Centre’s inception in 1985 as a shed. Patrick, holder of a National Medal of Merit, also spoke of his admiration of His Excellency’s earthly ways, which he said he intends to copy and hoped many others would follow.

Earlier at the simple ceremony, David Picou of the Max Richards and Friends Committee praised Patrick’s dedication towards the cause and revealed that the principal, once a winner of (US)$10,000, selflessly used the entire prize money to improve and partially furnish the Centre which provides an education and tender loving care for both pre-school and primary school children of the area. Picou said that many of these 81 children had never seen the insides of a school before, while some others are mentally challenged. However they were all ecstatic when they saw the Head of State in the flesh and after being prompted by the principal, they gave three loud cheers to President Richards for the contributions presented to the Centre. Then upon the President’s departure, the children all waved and said in upbeat voices: “Goodbye! Goodbye! Come back again eh?”