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