The Tribune

TO mark the 40th Anniversary of Independence, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company announced it is investing more than $320,000 in several community programmes and charitable causes, as well as launching a series of BTC customer discounts via speciality promotions.

BTC senior vice president of brands and communications, Marlon Johnson said: “All this year we have given financial aid or material and human support to various causes as a part of our gift to the nation in this 40th Independence anniversary year.

“The announcement today is about our additional community projects and is a further celebratory gesture to the government and people of the Bahamas as a part of BTC’s 40th anniversary gift to the country.”

Mr Johnson said the first of the customer give-backs, ‘Free Nights’, began on June 24 and will run through July 26. “Until July 26 BTC mobile customers can, for $1.69, get an 11 hour night time pass to make unlimited local calls and texts to other BTC subscribers between 8pm and 6.59 am the next morning. We have a series of these customer promotions that will roll out over the next few months.”

Mr Johnson listed the anniversary projects to be activated over the coming weeks.

BTC is donating $100,000 over five years in support of the underwriting a Sick Kids Telemedicine Lab at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. The facility will allow doctors locally to discuss, analyse and agree with specialists at the Children’s Hospital in Toronto, a course of treatment for children in the Bahamas with cancer.

Starting in September, COB students will have access to $50,000 through a BTC scholarship donation to the College of the Bahamas. BTC scholarships are available to students of varying disciplines who demonstrate academic achievement and a genuine need. Part proceeds will also go towards COB’s endowment fund. BTC has committed to this scholarship for five years.

BTC is also a sponsor of the much anticipated official Ball of the 40th Independence anniversary celebrations, the Legacy Ball, and BTC has provided funding as one of the top corporate participants in the event.