Regent rewards poets and artists with $8,000
Several Belizean school children are hundreds of dollars richer tonight…their reward for making insurance interesting. Over a hundred and thirty budding poets and artists spent hours painting posters and writing rhymes as part of Regent Insurance’s “Protecting Belizean Businesses” competition. This morning, the winners and their teachers picked up cheques valued at a total of eight thousand Belize dollars. According to the children, their motivation came from different places.
Seleny Sanchez, First Prize, Poetry
“It was difficult though because I did it about three times, then he check it and he seh that we both are going to work on it, so we decided to work on it together then we get this poem…I don’t know what to say, I’m nervous.”
Janelle Chanona
“After all that hard work, how do you feel about winning?”
Seleny Sanchez
“Well I feel good because I’m going to Excelsior High and then people don’t expect much from my school, so I’m very proud.”
Janelle Chanona
“How did you get the idea for it?”
Kristian Carter, First Prize, Poster
“My mom and my teacher and my dad encouraged me to do the poster.”
Janelle Chanona
“How long did it take you? Was it hard?”
Kristian Carter
(Shakes head no)
Janelle Chanona
“What made you want to participate? The money?”
Kristian Carter
“The money.”
Janelle Chanona
“So what are you going to do with all this money you get?”
Kristian Carter
“Spend it.”
Tony Flynn, Managing Director, Regent Insurance
“I was greatly surprised by the response by the number of entries we got, and from all parts of Belize, and that was really inspiring.”
“This was a one-off thing for our twentieth birthday, but that’s not to say that we’ve been greatly inspired by the quality of what’s been produced that we won’t do something like this again in the future.”
Excelsior High School was also the recipient of a computer package as part of their prize. Other winners included Melanie Tucker of Pallotti High School in Belize City for her poem, while Ionna Toledano from La Immaculada and Jasmine Tillett of Carmelita Government School from the Orange Walk District captured honours for their posters. First place winners earned one thousand bucks, second, seven hundred dollars and third place received a five hundred dollar cheque. The teachers of all the winners were also awarded three hundred dollars each.
