Short on cash, carnival still goes forward
You know that summer is rapidly coming to an end when the talk turns to carnival. And that was the buzz this morning at City Hall, where News 5’s Patrick Jones was getting ready to jump up.
Leroy Green, President, Carnival Pulaali
“No honestly, we are laughing, but as they say on the streets, things dread.”
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Although they put on a brave face at the official launch of carnival season, the tone of this morning’s press conference suggested that for the 2003 activities to happen it will take a combination of blood, sweat and a lot of money. Even with the organizing committee’s budget running on financial fumes, President of Carnival Pulaali Leroy Green says mass this year will be bigger and better.
Leroy Green
“Even though there is no money, there is a wealth of spirit and we are hoping that the public will come out and support all these activities. For example the Carnival Jouvert is not going to cost us a lot. The lotto pick and whatever events we will be having in Eden, Eden has agreed to give us half of what we collect at the door, so they are supporting us in that way, the carnival bands are around listing support from parents and so on of the different children.”
But even as the fund raising efforts kick into high gear, Green says that most of the bands are still short of ninety percent of their budget. And that prognosis was confirmed by the leader of the newest kid on the block, the Fresh Pond Cashew Crew from Burrell Boom
Kimberly Middleton, Fresh Pond Cashew Crew
“Why I enter this year again, because the kids come to me and say they want to get into carnival, if I will have a group this year. So I mi told them I neva mi wah have this year sake of my kids, but when them come to me I decide to have because some young ladies come to me and say they will help me. And that’s why I get into it. But it, like it real hard this year because everybody weh you go to for sponsorship, like them bawl and they say everything is slow, this, that, you get all kind of insult, but I still keep on trying and trying and trying and see if I could get some more help.”
And Middleton is not alone. Marsha Smith of Southside Masqueraders, a senior band, says financial difficulties have her costumes still on the drawing board; Marina Welcome of Jump Street Posse is out three thousand dollars and Dorla Vaughan of Black Pearl says some cash would drop well with her group.
Marsha Smith, Southside Masqueraders
“And I’m really desperate and I need help in any way you all can out there, just help me so that we could be a success. And we know there will be competition and if you could give us money, if you could help us inna anything you can, all the business place out there, help us, we need you all help.”
Even if that assistance is not forthcoming, Green says come September twentieth the familiar route between Yabra and the Marion Jones Stadium will be positively energized. Driven by competition, Green says Belizeans can look forward to a colourful display of Belizean creative talents.
Leroy Green
“I’m looking forward to seeing ten Carnival Bands because the date of entry has gone. We have a close off date. Three seniors and seven juniors and we are looking forward to seeing floats. The steel drums and so on, we’re looking forward to seeing marching bands, the tumblers, the band from Orange Walk, the Garifuna band that has entered. And we are also looking to seeing citizens on the streets joining in.”
Unlike previous years, no theme for Carnival was announced. Organizers say that because competition was put back into the event, each band will have to come up with its own theme, which will only be made public at mass camp, when the media gets to visit the different groups, three days before the road march.
Leroy Green
“This year carnival will be different from last year. Last year Pulaali worked together to revive the spirit of carnival in friendship and we hope to continue that same feeling this year. Despite the fact that this year there will be competition. Last year we all celebrated and illustrated the one theme, which was “carnival then, now and tomorrow.” This year we are not doing that, this year each back will be bringing out its own themes and will compete for kind and queen competition and also road march competition. So it’s going to be competition. What I’m appealing to the carnival bands especially is that even though we are competing, lets not quarrel about it, let doing it in a sprit of friendship, let’s consider it a sport because that was the element which was destroying carnival before this.”
Green says the sport has exorcised ghosts of carnivals past and that everyone, participants and spectators alike, should enjoy the show. Patrick Jones, for News 5.
The Belize City Council, which is spearheading this year’s event, has already assisted each band with two thousand, five hundred dollars. Other items on the Carnival Calendar include: Lotto Pick on September fourth, the King and Queen Competition on September sixth at the Marion Jones Stadium, Carnival Jouvert on the thirteenth and Mass Camp on the night of September seventeenth.
