Green Valley Global - Men In Music

As many of you know, I love the arts and more specifically, the art form of dance. As a Caribbean National I grew up with dance as an integral part of my culture. In the Caribbean, music and dance go hand in hand. They complement each other well. There is a saying in St. Kitts and Nevis that says "whenever pan knock you are bound to see somebody whining."  WE LOVE TO DANCE AND WE LOVE MUSIC.

It should come as no surprise then that I did not hesitate to say yes when the Green Valley Global Organization asked me to be the hostess of their annual "The Lincoln Santoy Swanston Men in Music" Awards Gala in New York. The Green Valley Global is one of the most active groups developed by several individuals from the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis who migrated from to the United States but have an undying love for their community whether they are home or abroad. Every year the group provides scholarships, community service, and financial support to all individuals of Kittitian and Nevisian heritage. Hosting the "Men in Music" awards gala was just another means for them to give back to their community and to show their love and appreciation for the men and more specifically to the fathers who continue to be a positive being in the lives of many. 

With PRO of Green Valley Global Mrs Coreentje Phipps Benejamin

I was decked out in the national dress of St. Kitts and Nevis and had the honor of interviewing the first ever Calypso King of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Levi "Entertainer" Weekes. During the event we heard beautiful music from the steel pan, guitar, drumming and keyboard. The musicians behind these instruments aptly supported the talented and brave men who presented their songs in Calypso. We heard renditions from Mr Lennox Liburd, Lord Kent, Glenroy "Greene T" Greene Elvis "Freddy" Williams Trevor Bridgewater and Kennedy Phipps. What a treat we had. I am looking forward to see how the group can top this event next year. 

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

City of Philadelphia City Council

How humbling it was to be invited to speak at City Hall in Philadelphia. Each month the Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs holds a meeting to highlight those events that are taking place within community. More specifically they invite individuals within the community who demonstrate significant contributions towards the economic and cultural activities within the African and Caribbean immigrant community of the City of Philadelphia. Imagine my surprise when I received a special invitation to speak about my platform, and upcoming initiative. I spoke to may community leaders including but not limited to Miss. Jennifer Rodriguez, Executive Director in the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, and Mr. Godfrey Sithole (leader within the South African community of Phiadelphia) who spoke on the United Nations declaration of July 18^th Nelson Mandela International day.

Thank you to Councilwoman of the 3^rd District of Philadelphia, Jannie L. Blackwell for the special invitation to speak about my upcoming Dance your dance initiative in honor and recognition of National Caribbean American Heritage month. The first ever Caribbean Style and Culture Dance showcase will take place at the historical Mother Bethel AME Lecture Hall on June 27^th at 6:30 pm.  Here is your special invitation from me to come out and be a part of something amazing.

Making my presentation

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 2014 

National Caribbean Heritage month celebration

It was my honor to be a specially invited guest presenter and hostess for a celebration of National Caribbean American Heritage Month at the Aspen Hill Public Library in Rockville, MD. The event was fabulous, made ever more wonderful by the sewwt pan music provided by the group PanLara from Lara Family and Friends, live reading of the new book Callaloo by the books author Ms. Marjuan Canady, face painting and of course limbo dancing. I was given the mandate of making introductions, supporting the program and overall energizing the audience and keeping them engaged as the programmed progressed through the day.  The event was hosted by the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and its partner, Mustard Seed Ministry. I received a special invite from Mr. and Mrs. Althea Mckenzie as part of the Caribbean American Royalty Tour which is an initiative by the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce in DC. 

With PanLara - group that plays the lovely music of PAN (an instrument made from tin drums)

With Caribbean Dancers from the company White House Studios

With Actress, producer and author Ms Marjuan Canady and her main character of the book Callaloo Mr. Winston along with his voice Mr. James

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 2014

Welcome to June National Caribbean American Heritage Month

In June 2005, the House of Representatives designated the month of June as the month to recognize the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States.  On February 14, 2006, the resolution similarly passed the Senate, culminating a two-year, bipartisan and bicameral effort.

Since the declaration, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This year marks the eighth anniversary of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month.  

I will be participating in a number of events this month in celebration of my heritage and encourage to look for events in your area where you can learn more about the beautiful islands of the Caribbean. 

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 2014

American Heart Association Annual Heart Walk

Last week I able to work at a designated station for the American Heart Association at an annual Heart Walk in Ocean City, NJ. It was in the middle of the starting point of the walk.  My task: Challenge everyone who passes by my station to name the F.A.S.T signs of stroke. Every individual who came by stepped up to the challenge and were able to name almost all the signs. Many had a challenge naming the 'T' sign. So we are all educated on the signs, here they are:

F - Face Dropping

A - Arm Weakness

S - Speech Difficulty 

T - Time to call 911

Many people who were able to name all of the signs, also shared with me stories about what made them aware of the signs and why they strive for being heart healthy. I was glad that I was able to share information with these people & encourage them to get the to remain vigilant in living a heart healthy life. In addition, as a dancer I was tasked with co-leading the warm-up exercises (this is a task I happily accepted). 

The American Heart Association is the largest voluntary health organization working to prevent, treat and defeat heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. These diseases, the Nation's No.1 and No.3 killers, claim more than 865,000 American lives a year. Thanks to all our walkers, donors and volunteers who have accepted the challenge to help fight heart disease and stroke. We cannot achieve our mission without each one of you!

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International

Kittitian and Nevisian Association (KANA) Annual Mother's Day Gala

Every year the Kittitian and Nevisian Association (KANA) recognizes the dedication and love of Kittitian and Nevisian mother's by hosting their annual mother's day gala and awards ceremony. This year the event took place under the distinguished patronage of St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas at East Manor in the Bronx, New York on Sunday May 11th (Mother's day).  This year the New York-based group honored three mothers.

One of the honoree's being presented by KANA contestants and the Prime Minister, Dr. Denzil Douglas 

Special Guests included Attorney-at-Law and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Delano Bart who made brief remarks. Other guests included reigning national carnival calypso king Mr. Richie Buntin and past carnival calypso king, Pungwa. Prime Minister Dr. Douglas delivered the feature address after he was introduced by the Ambassador Delano Bart.

With Prime Minister Hon, Dr. Denzil Douglas 

Yours truly was the Mistress of Ceremonies and it was truly my pleasure to be involved with such an event.

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International

Honoring Excellence with the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association

It was my honor to co-host the 10th Annual St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association Gala and Awards Ceremony which took place at the Eastwood Manor in the Bronx, New York on Saturday May 3rd 2014. The Gala, dubbed “Honoring Excellence,” was a twofold celebration as it was a rare opportunity for citizens abroad to celebrate the accomplishments of our nation’s blossoming footballers residing overseas and to applaud those committed to the continuity of the popular sport. My very talented co-host was Mrs T. C. Phipps-Benjamin who is the Public Relations Officer for the Green Valley Global organization.

With Co-host Mrs. T.C. Phipps-Benjamin

The night's proceedings were blessed by the Reverend P. Alister Williams which was quickly followed by the lustily rendering of the national anthems of St. Kitts and Nevis and the United States of America by Ms. Sherisma Liburd. A brief moment of silence was then taken in honor of Christopher Dasent and Ira (Rockers) Wilkes, two deceased renowned football brothers.  We had the pleasure of hearing opening remarks from our Ambassador, the honorable Mrs. Jacinth Henry-Martin, as she provided her support of the work of the St. Kitts-Nevis Graduates Soccer Club does within the community. She expressed her delight in being invited to offer words of encouragement to the young soccer players and was pleased to work alongside the organizers of the annual event. She also extended heartfelt commendations to the organization for enduring the countless odds it has as an organization to attain ten successful years of impacting the world of soccer and changing young lives in the process.

Presenting a special bouquet of flowers to the honorable Ambassador Mrs. J. Henry-Martin 

Following the scrumptious meal, Nevisian born diplomat and current Executive Secretary for Integral Development at the Organization of American States (OAS) Ms. S Tross expressed her sincere gratitude for the invitation to speak at an event where she could encourage others to persevere to achieve their specific goals. She emphasized that life has its challenges and despite these obstacles and probably because of them, we still must move forward. Ms. Tross impressed upon the guests that our various life experiences come out of personal sacrifices. As long as we epitomize perseverance, our life’s challenges can be turned into remarkable success stories. Ambassador Henry-Martin presented Ms. Tross with a plaque on behalf of the Soccer Graduates, in honor of her accomplishments. Then I had the honor of presenting a bouquet of flowers to the Ambassador Mrs. Henry-Martin and to Ms. Hyacinth Chiverton for all their hard work and dedication to the St. Kitts and Nevis-Soccer Graduates. It was definitely a great night of celebration and I look forward to the group's continued success.

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

Miss International Ticket Sales Now OPEN

The 2014 Miss International contestants are eagerly preparing to represent their respective countries/states with an indomitable pride. This is a pageant that will go down in the books as one of the best. I am ready to make history as the first representative of my beautiful country of St. Kitts and Nevis (and the history making is likely not going to stop there). You therefore do not want to miss this one. Get your tickets now. You can even view the seating arrangement of the theater for the best seats in the house.

For more information click here

This will be the first time the pageant will be hosted in its new home of Jacksonville, Florida - again another historic feature. Come out in your numbers and be prepared to celebrate the accomplishments of women with a very talented and community spirited group of young ladies. 

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

DANCE YOUR DANCE WORKSHOP, ST. KITTS - SUCCESSFUL

Group photo

The purpose of "Dance Your Dance" is to promote the importance of dance therapy, through advocacy and volunteerism. After doing several workshops in New York and Philadelphia, I felt very prepared to complete a similar workshop at home. After speaking with several government minsters on St. Kitts to confirm location, time and other logistics, everything was finally in place to conduct the workshop. From 10 am to 3 pm, 21 participants and I took the journey of embracing, accepting and loving ourselves through the art form of dance. This workshop provided an opportunity to learn about dance and dance therapy whether individuals had prior experience or not!

The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with similarities and differences between dance and dance therapy.  The workshop also served the purpose of creating different movements that comes to us naturally (based upon personal ability).  Then we discovered ways to recreate those movements with our own unique twists "dancing our dance". The overall aim was to enhance the confidence of the participants and find ways through dance to develop positive self-esteem. Judging from questions such as "will you do this again" and "when is the next one taking place?," I can safely say the workshop was successful and I am truly grateful to every participant who spent the entire day with me. 

Best

Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

Participant adding her unique touch to the traditional crab back movement

Stretching

ZIZ Upfront Television Interview

Having the opportunity to speak to an entire nation is mind blowing however, I was ready for the task.  On April 24th 2014, I had the invaluable opportunity to be interviewed on the national network of St. Kitts and Nevis the ZIZ Boardcasting network in my beautiful home country of St. Kitts and Nevis.  I was interviewed by Karla Berridge which can be seen in the link below from (31:09):  http://zizonline.com/ziz-evening-news-23-april-2014/

The interview was aired twice during the national news to the entire twin island federation.  While at the station, I was able to meet individuals such as my former teacher in the form of Mr. Jason Davis, the network's general manager Mr Clement Ogarro and several others. Afterwards, I received a tour of the station.  Thank you to the entire team for such a warm reception. 

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

On the Set with my interviewer Miss Karla

Sandy Point Benevolent Society - Taste of the Caribbean Easter Breakfast - Successful

A future Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

Volunteering with one of the most dedicated St. Kitts groups (Sandy-Point Benevolent-Society) at their annual fundraising Easter Breakfast was quite a rewarding experience. As soon as I got in, I was given gloves and a hair net (yes you heard me right. It definitely was not a cute look but I was not there too look cute).


The Sandy Point Benevolent Society hosts its Taste of the Caribbean Easter Breakfast every year as one of the group's main fundraisers. The funds raised through this event goes towards the development of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as towards scholarships for primary and high school students within the federation.  There was plenty of food to be had on that day and everyone appeared to have a wonderful time dining on food we normally would not receive unless we were home in St. Kitts and Nevis

President (left) Dr. Mervin Richardson, Vice President (right) Mr Vincent Hodge 

Executive members of the Sandy Point Benevolent Society

Best
Stacey Greene

Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International

2014 American Heart Association Heart & Stroke Ball

It was a hotsy-totsy heart affair at the American Heart Association 1920's inspired 2014 York Heart & Stroke Ball on April 12 at the Country Club of York. I was on hand as a volunteer where I oversaw the super silent auction table. It was a lot of fun and I do say the night was quite a success!

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International 

With  the 2014 American Heart Association Heart & Stroke Ball coordinator Miss Molly Reffner

Miss PA International Pageants

Current Miss, Teen and Mrs Contestants with the reigning Miss International, Jesse Ladoue 

I feel so very  blessed to be a part of the International organization.  I had the chance to speak with several of my fellow contestants who will compete with me this summer for the title of Miss International. Being able to speak about our platforms, allowed us to bond over community service and community involvement.  I also watched as three deserving women gained the opportunity to represent the state of PA as the Teen, Miss and Mrs PA International. In addition to enjoying the pageant, at the end I was able to speak with a young lady who was ecstatic to learn of my platform: Dance your dance, improving lives through dance therapy.  She was almost brought to tears, sharing with me how the healing power of dance has helped her overcome many personal obstacles.  She is now set to begin her training at Drexel University in the Fall of 2014 for her Masters of Dance Therapy Degree. 

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International

Miss North East International 2014 and I taking a moment to show our dance moves

A future dance therapists who is slated to begin her masters degree in Dance Therapy at Drexel University Fall 14

Sandy Point Benevolent Society - Taste of the Caribbean Easter Breakfast

The Sandy Point Benevolent Society will host its Taste of the Caribbean Easter Breakfast on April 19th.  I will be on hand to volunteer at this event.  The funds rasied through this event goes towards the development of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as towards scholarships for primary and high school students within the federation.  All are encourgaged to come out to this event.  I attended as an invited guest last year and the food was absolutely amazing (definitely money well spent all around).

Best
Stacey Greene
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis International