Expanded “Unsung Heroes” initiative launched
An intense search stretching from Albert Street all the way to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Eastern Caribbean was launched today as FirstCaribbean International Bank is again looking to honour the region’s unsung heroes. After the positive response that initiative received last year when it was piloted in four countries, local manager, Stephen Duncan, says the Unsung Heroes programme has now been expanded to all fifteen countries where the bank operates. And with half a million dollars in prizes to be shared across the region, Duncan says it?s time for the community to speak.
Stephen Duncan, Country Manager, FirstCaribbean Intl. Bank
“It’s still a tidy sum. I think each local finalist will get six thousand U.S. for their cause. So that is what they did last year. It hasn’t decreased, let?s put it that way. But because of the number of countries that are now participating, the total purse has gone up.”
“We truly want to try to honour people who go about their daily work and influence our young people, do things within the society and don’t look for any rewards. They just do it because they are community-minded, they are civic-minded, they have civic pride. And they want to help people who are less fortunate than themselves.”
Duncan says that based on the nominations received last year, he is confident that the programme is meeting its objectives.
And while Duncan laid out those basic criteria for winning the award, Belize’s coordinator of the Unsung Heroes programme, Irene Hernandez, offered more details.
Irene Hernandez, Local Coordinator, Unsung Heroes
“What we’re looking for is people who contribute, give of themselves to the community with no reward or recognition given to them. We are looking for Caribbean people, people residing in the Caribbean for at least five years. So nobody that?s not Belizean will be chosen for Belize. We are looking for people with no media profile, nobody outside of their communities really would have known about the good works that they have been doing. And we are also looking for people whose causes can really benefit from the funds that will be contributed to them.”
The deadline for the submission of nominations is July thirtieth and the winners will be announced in October. Nomination forms are available at all FirstCaribbean branches. News 5 was assured that potential nominees who happen to be profiled in the media will not be discriminated against.
