CITCO donates to junior carnival bands
Earlier in the day Arreini dropped in on a short ceremony marking the donation of funds for another youthful project, this one set to debut in a few weeks.
Swing your engine, torro-torro, lift your leg and wine. Carnival time is right around the corner and although the election frenzy may be at a fever pitch, the temperature of Belize City’s eight junior carnival bands is steadily rising. According to Marina Welcome, leader of last year’s winner, Jump Street Posse, her band has some surprises in its bag.
Marina Welcome, Leader, Jump Street Posse
“Yes a lot. Last year I did “Story Land” and I think that dazzled the children eyes. This year I am doing the “Awakening,” the work of the Gods. That is a story that goes way back with the Baymen and Spaniards and the Battle of St. George’s Caye. And I did it in a carnival style so I think the public will really enjoy the way we are doing it.”
For first timer in the carnival scene, Georgette Staine, getting costumes for the thirty-six member Raccoon Street Band was a bit of a challenge.
Georgette Staine, Leader, Raccoon Street Band
“My sister the one at university designed the costume and the only problem is a hat that we really want to get. That’s basically the only problem.”
But getting the hats, shoes and little short skirts together may not be the only problem plaguing most Junior Bands. Welcome says that funding is greatest obstacle.
Marina Welcome
“Sometimes it seems impossible. Personally I start fund raising from February. I go on the corner of Jump Street and sell rice and beans. We have barbecue; we have penny party; and Miss Jump Street Pageant. We have different events that help us with our fund raising. Sometimes when we go ask businesses for sponsorship they prefer sponsor the big bands and we the junior bands get left out. And to be truthful, there are more junior bands than senior bands. There are ten junior bands and four senior bands. Due to the children I thought that they would react different to the junior bands but unfortunately they don’t.”
This caused concern with veteran reveler and Belize City councilor Merlyn Young.
Merlyn Young, City Councilor
“In our manifesto that we campaigned on in the last City Council Elections we committed ourselves to helping in culture, youth and sports. And as being a band member myself with the Jem Carnival Band we heard comments from the junior carnival groups that it is hard to get funds. So one of my colleagues mentioned that why don’t we help them out instead of giving the big band member funds we should help out the junior bands. So I brought it to the council and the council approved it. So we decided to help the Belize City junior bands. And that is a total of eight bands, so even though things are kinda tight with us we found fourteen hundred dollars total to give to the junior bands on behalf of the City Council.”
Eight checks for one hundred and seventy five dollars each were given out in ceremonies this morning at City Hall. The money is more than a welcome relief to Staine.
Georgette Staine
“It’s going to help me because we are having a trip to Five Sister Falls in Cayo and the money we get from the trip is to buy gas and a box and stuff like that for the carnival. So it’s going to help a lot.”
Although the money may be a small amount, it should help the junior bands as they move, shake and jump behind the big truck this September. Arreini Palacio for News Five.
This year’s carnival parade will wind its way through the city on Friday, September eleventh.
