The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama community will be treated to an extraordinary Christmas event this week that residents will not forget, as the island continues to recover and families try to gain some normalcy after Hurricane Dorian.

Bass Pro and Convoy of Hope are hosting a four-day event at the YMCA playing field, starting today, that will bring Christmas cheer to thousands of children and their parents on Grand Bahama.

The event is free and there will be carnival rides, games, lot of toys and gifts, and food. Relief packages of grocery items also will be distributed.

Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops in the US, said that when they learned about the storm that hit the Bahamas, they wanted to do something to help with relief efforts.

He said that they asked their customers at Bass Pro and anglers around the world to donate to the relief efforts in Grand Bahama. He said they received donations of tents, water, food, and other hurricane relief supplies.

In addition to donation of relief items, Mr Morris said that they wanted to do something for the children and decided to host a Christmas event, Santa’s Wonderland.

“We want to create happy memories for the kids and for families and the people of Grand Bahama,” he said.

Grand Bahama Christian Council President Pastor Robert Lockhart said this will be a good end to the year for children who have been through so much with the storm.

“This four-day celebration will cater to 8,000 to 10,000 children but also to parents, and tickets are being made available to all the kids in the schools,” he said.

He said tickets are colour coded by the days – children with red ticket hand bands will come out on Monday night, blue ticket bands are for Tuesday night, green ticket bands are for Wednesday night, and yellow bands for Thursday night.

Pastor Lockhart is encouraging persons to attend. “There is going to be free food, and all the rides – carousel and slides are free. And they are even going to bring snow for us here, and grocery distribution will be for all of the adults.”

Every child will receive a Christmas gift, he said.

Karen Pinder-Johnson, executive director of the YMCA, said that facility representatives are happy to be able to provide the venue for the event. She commended Bass Pro and Convoy of Hope for what they are doing to help the community to heal after such a devastating storm. She said the YMCA supports the event.