Hundreds Turn Out for Labour Day in the West

Volunteerism was at a high in Western Jamaica today (May 25), as hundreds of residents from across that region turned out to participate in Labour Day 2009 activities.
With over 160 registered projects across the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland, inclusive of four parish projects and three national projects, the overcast conditions did not dampen the spirit of the persons who turned out at the various projects, to give of their time and labour.
The cleaning and beautification of the Falmouth cemetery, the parish project for Trelawny, got off to an early start, as did the other 50 projects throughout that parish.
In St. James, His Worship the Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Charles Sinclair Jnr., led some 30 volunteers in repairing the male ward at the St. James Infirmary, the parish project. A team of volunteers from the private sector also did repair work on the female ward.
With approximately 55 registered projects in the parish, inclusive of a national project – the Blue Hole Nature Park – there was no shortage of workers on any of the projects. Volunteers were noticed moving from project to project on the completion of some of the smaller ones.
Mayor Sinclair was very delighted about the support for the projects. “What I would encourage citizens to do though, is that we should not just make this one day of the year. But we should do it every day of the year, to ensure that our community looks well, is kept in good and proper shape, and that beautification projects can take place every day. I always say that you should not regard your actual home where you live as your home, but should regard your community as your home,” he said.
In Hanover, with 30 registered projects, inclusive of a national project, representatives from several private and public sector organisations worked together to accomplish as much as possible. Expansion work at the Lucea Fire Station is the national project, while the cleaning and beautification of the beaches along the Lucea harbour is the parish project.
Acting Superintendent of the Hanover Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Rudolph Seaton, expressed gratitude that the fire station was chosen as one of the national projects.
“We are very elated. We got some assistance from the business community and of course with the intervention from the Office of the Prime Minister, it has taken us a far way. We are now sure that we will be able to complete this project within the next four to five weeks,” he said.
Work in the parish of Westmoreland, with its 25 registered projects, inclusive of one national and one parish project, also went on without any major hitch.