From left, back: Marvin Rolle, district education officer; Mary Russell, district education officer; Sandrea Bullard, vice-principal Maurice Moore Primary School, Tammy Ellis-Elliott, principal Maurice Moore Primary School; GiGi Allen, benefactor; former ambassador Maurice Moore, patron; Carl Allen, benefactor; Yvonne Ward, district superintendent East Grand Bahama and cays; Sandra Moore, wife of patron; Julian Anderson, deputy director for technology and innovation for Ministry of Education along with fifth graders from the school.
By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TEXAS philanthropists Carl and Gigi Allen have presented 285 tablets to the Maurice Moore Primary School in Grand Bahama.
Thanks to their generous donation, every fourth, fifth and sixth grader at the school will now have access to a wide range of critical learning tools at their fingertips.
The Allens are investors in The Bahamas having recently purchased Walker's Cay with plans to restore the tiny island to its former glory as a sports-fishing destination.
Also in attendance for the presentation were Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard, the Member of Parliament for Marco City, former ambassador Maurice Moore, Julian Anderson, deputy director for technology and innovation at the Ministry of Education, and Trevor Turnquest of BTC.
According to a spokesman, the Allens' donation is a continuation of an informal partnership between the couple, the government and BTC, to ensure that children in the Abacos and Grand Bahama are given all the tools needed for a brighter future.
Mr Allen said: "Every time I have the chance to come to The Bahamas and visit a school, seeing these children and their thirst to learn is a truly inspiring thing. Gigi and I are so grateful to this country and we're so honoured to be here with Minister Pintard, Ambassador Moore, and the esteemed educators at the school."
Mr Pintard thanked the Allens for donating the tablets to students at the school, which is located in the Marco City constituency.
Principal Tammy Ellis-Elliot was very grateful for the donation, noting Grand Bahama is being developed as a technology hub.
"We need to be leading the way in technology in the schools and it is significant that 250 students here now have a tablet. We appreciate the support of the Allens coming to Maurice Moore Primary and making this donation. I thank them for partnering with us to bring technology in the schools to our students," she said.
Mrs Elliot said that the generous donation by the Allens is a demonstration of good corporate citizenship.
"We do not live in a vacuum and it takes a village to raise our children," she said.
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