Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, has commended the St. Ann Homecoming and Heritage Foundation for its efforts to highlight and preserve the culture of the parish.
He was speaking at the Foundation’s sixth annual banquet and awards ceremony held on Saturday (Aug. 14) at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, to recognise parishioners, who have excelled in various fields.
The Governor-General noted that the parish has produced outstanding sons and daughters “whose contributions continue to inspire creative thinking, peace and unity not only in St. Ann and the nation, but also on the world stage.”
“Their legacies have provided the framework from which we can project a Jamaica, which stands out as a beacon for the rest of the world,” he added.
His Excellency congratulated the awardees, expressing the hope that the recognition will inspire others to strive for excellence “so that the beauty of this parish and its people can be seen and felt everywhere.”
Chairman of the Foundation, Herbert Murdock, in his message, urged Jamaicans to hold on to their culture and unabashedly share the rich heritage with compatriots of all ages.
“Let us proudly but humbly assert our ‘Jamaicanness’, always promoting that which is exemplary in our culture and taking from the rest of the world only that which will enhance what we already have,” Mr. Murdock said.
The St. Ann Homecoming and Heritage Foundation was launched in 2003, with the objective of instilling pride in young people and others, by educating them about the heritage of St. Ann and the nation as a whole.