Vitality Foundation, a subsidiary of the Vitality Group, on Tuesday last handed over G$1.3 million worth in cricket gear to eight clubs and two players attached to the Berbice Cricket Board.
The Vitality Group is set to officially launch its operations in Guyana later this week and will be providing accountancy, supplies and other consultancy service needs to the oil and gas sector and other associated businesses.
The clubs receiving the equipment were the Number 74 Cut and Load, Number 72 All-Stars, Number 69 Red Rose, Number 69 Vikings, Number 70 Muslim Youth Organisation, Number 68 Dark End Superstars, Number 68 Turn Team Cricket Club, and Number 73 Young Warriors.
The two young cricketers who received individual cricket gear were Vishkar Persaud of Tucber Park Cricket Club and Dharmesh Seenarine of the Port Mourant Cricket Club.
A small ceremony was held at the St. Francis Community Developers Conference Centre, Rose Hall Town, Berbice, and present were Directors of the Vitality Group, Sureain Sawh, Badesh Thakur, Simon Kandial, Matt Averkamp, Manaish Ramoutar and Abbas Hamid.
Manaish Ramoutar, a Director of the Vitality Group, said the company came to Guyana to invest in the various sectors of the oil and gas industry, and as part of its launch later this week, it will also be officially launching the Vitality Foundation, which has been working behind the scenes in Guyana for over nine years.
“We are looking forward to working with the Berbice Cricket Board and with you the players to further develop the sport in Berbice and around Guyana. Our hope is that this will result in more competitions, the enhancement of female cricket and more youths showing interest in the sport. We plan to have further talks with the president of the Berbice Cricket Board to see what more can be done to assist with the development of cricket and youths in the Region.”
Matt Averkamp, Financial Accountant and Business Consultant of the Vitality Group, said with most of the team being Guyanese it is part of the Vitality Group’s corporate and social responsibility to provide training and education to the youths of Guyana.
“We want to show the youth of Guyana what the world has to offer in relation to sports, that leadership skills that are acquired here can be carried with you throughout your lives, and careers; this is why we want to help in any way we can to build your futures and the future of Guyana.”
Hilbert Foster, President of the Berbice Cricket Board, thanked the Vitality Foundation for its timely donation of the gear, adding that this is the second-largest donation of its kind to be made to clubs that are part of the Berbice Cricket Board.
“I want the Vitality Group to rest assured that their donations to the Berbice Cricket Board and its players will see them getting maximum branding and mileage at all our major events and promotions and with the Berbice Cricket Board dominating print media almost daily we will ensure that your business becomes a household name when persons speak of cricket.”
Foster, who is also Secretary/CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, took the opportunity to award longtime supporter of youth development in Rose Hall, Sureain Sawh, the Dolphin Award of Excellence, the highest award the club can bestow.
Sawh, a Director of the Vitality Group, also received the Berbice Cricket Board’s highest award ‘The Tribute to Hero’ for his contribution to the development of cricket in Berbice.
