Finnegan, the Philanthropist, gives to cricket team
Basketball and soccer are the preeminent sports that can turn foes to friends for the length of a game and the celebration of a win. But there are other sports that don’t have national support. Cricket is celebrated in the Caribbean, but it doesn’t get the love afforded to basketball and soccer in Belize. Perhaps that is why when Minister of Housing, Michael Finnegan, recently viewed a cricket game in Bermudian Landing, he saw the ‘poco tiempo’ clothing of some players and he decided to don a hat as a philanthropist and make a donation to the team. News Five caught up with Finnegan as he made his donation to the team.
Minister Michael Finnegan, Philanthropist
Michael Finnegan
“These are members of the Sand Hill Cricket Team. The name of the Sand Hill Bright Star. You are the captain and they are here today to receive some playing uniforms that I am giving to them as a gift for their dedication to cricket to Sand Hill and in Belize Rural. There are fifteen players and there is a set of uniform for each of the players. I went to Bermudian Landing one Saturday afternoon and I so happened to stop in at the cricket pitch and saw them playing against Bermudian Landing and to me their appearance was not too up to mark so I called the captain and asked him if he would be pleased if I would donate to him a set of jersey for the team and he said yes. And I ordered them through the United States, through a friend in El Paso, Texas and he had them sent down to me to deliver to the guys.”
Ardell Vacarro, Coach, Sand Hill Bright Star Cricket Team
“How we will benefit, like I said, first we got to thank Mister Finnegan for the set of uniform he give we. We normally play in full white; this is the first set of uniform we di get for a cricket season because normally dah full white. And dehn di try upgrade the uniforms and thing.”
Ardell Vacarro
Monica Bodden, Channel 7
“How are you guys doing in the tournament?”
Ardell Vacarro
“Well we no di do too bad. We just like third place roughly right now. For the teams we got like five or six teams competing for the Hour-half and each team has to take a risk.”
Finnegan made the donation to the cricketers this afternoon at his King’s Park residence.
Cricket was big one time in the city. If all the ministers of sports in the past and even the present were doing a good job Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) Grounds would still be hosting cricket matches and the grass would be in way better shape. We do not have a basket ball court to host international games, we do not have a field to host FIFA games, we have nothing and no where for the youths of the country to hone their athletic skills; so guess what they hang out, drink, smoke weed (wish it was only weed), join gangs and commit many other sorts of crimes against society. If they want the crime rate to drop give the youths of the country a stage to become better citizens. Also fix it so that regardless of which political party they support the best we have represent our country. Our country would do much better in a very short period of time. Just think that in spite of all that lack of support there are still a few Belizeans who can still do well on the international scene what would happen if only for a little more support.
no place to host primary school sports competition, volleyball and basketball, it is a shame!!!
CEO for Minister of Sports!
The article doesn’t mention whose money Mr. Finnegan used to buy the uniforms? If it was his, then by all means he should take a bow. But if it was taxpayer money, or from a private donor, then those people who actually paid the money should be acknowledged.
It’s a good example to encourage private support for sports in the Jewel. Sportsmanship and athletics tend to imrpove character, I believe.