The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POPULAR radio talk show host Ortland H Bodie Junior presented a cheque for $2,500 to the Ranfurly Home yesterday, in compliance with a court order requiring him to make a donation to the children’s home.

The fine, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Isaacs to be paid by July 9, was accompanied with an order for the host to immediately retract certain statements he made on air and issue an apology – or else be sent to prison for seven days.

On Monday, the Real Talk Live host was found in contempt of court for statements made on his show regarding Justice Isaacs on June 21.

Accepting the cheque on behalf of the Ranfurly Home, Alexandra Maillis-Lynch thanked Justice Isaacs for thinking of an institution she described as “struggling.

“We are indeed very grateful for the money. We continue to struggle. The children of the home were excited to hear they were going to benefit because they often feel like they are the forgotten children of the Bahamas.

“They cheered when they heard Mr Bodie had to pay. We are thankful he did not take the Fox Hill (Prison) option and chose to help us instead,” she said.

“We have suffered under the amount and gossip and lies people spread about us – people saying we have plenty of money and we don’t need it. That is not the truth.

“People have said they donated to us when we have no record of receiving anything from them. We continue to struggle just like other charities,” she said.

Ranfurly Home administrator L Alexander Roberts said the money comes at a time when the home is in desperate need of a new roof as hurricane season is just beginning.

“We are in the process of having a drive because our entire roof needs to be replaced. We are in the process of getting quotes.

“We had to cut back a lot this year and we are looking at other ways to increase our fund-raising efforts – not that we were living extravagantly by any means. We hope and pray that we do not have a major hurricane before we can get the roof repaired, “ he said.

“The engineers told us that we have to get the entire roof replaced. You cannot really see the issues if you are looking from the outside, but there are some serious structural issues. We have had local sponsors and donors help us out, but that was basically just for general maintenance like upkeep and so on. Right now we are focusing on the roof.”

Mr Roberts said there are 21 children living at the home. However, that number is expected to rise to more than 30 before September when they take in older children from the Nazareth Home, the Children’s Emergency Hostel and homes on the Family Islands.

He said the Ranfurly Home is always in need of funds as it costs about $500,000 a year to keep the doors open and they only get 10 per cent of their annual operating costs from the government.

The rest, according to Mr Roberts, must come from private donations.