Four organizations – Reach Out Youth Organization (ROYO), YMCA, Special Olympics, and the Falcons’ Boys Club – benefitted from much needed financial donations courtesy of the Freeport Container Port.
According to Hutchison Ports FCP officials, the donations represent the group’s ongoing corporate commitment to help strengthen the Grand Bahama communities and by extension, be a part of the growth and development of an even better Bahamas.

Asked why Hutchison Ports FCP sees supporting these organizations so important in a brief statement the company noted, “These are organizations that impressively and positively impact residents throughout The Bahamas, particularly the young people in Grand Bahama. Today’s youth are our future leaders, and some are very likely future managers and workers at Freeport Container Port (FCP) and Freeport Harbour Company (FHC). We have a longstanding relationship with many of the community initiatives and when called upon to assist we are simply guided by our corporate obligations. We truly wish these organizations continued success and commend the leaders for their relentless dedication.”
ROYO President Dudley Seide was very appreciative of FCP’s donation, noting that the company has always supported the organization.

“This will go a very long way in assisting us with our continued effort in giving back to the wider community,” said Seide, adding that next month, May 24, the ROYO is planning a major giveaway.

“This year, because of COVID-19, we cannot hold the Men’s United March, so we decided to do a major event on the Reach Out Community Center grounds,” he shared, adding that the event will be feeding and supply giveaway exercise.

“We start at 10:00 a.m. and are looking to assist 1,000 families. So, the donation today will go a long way to assist with our May 24. So, on behalf of Kathy Seide (ROYO Vice President), the countless families, residents in Grand Bahama we want to say a heartfelt thank you to the Container Port.

“They put their money where their mouth is, they believe in helping the community and that’s what they did today in making this donation to Reach Out Youth Organization,” said Seide.

Equally excited over Wednesday’s generous gifting was YMCA executive Director Karon Pinder-Johnson.

“The Freeport Container Port and Freeport Harbour Company have been very supportive of the YMCA for many, many years and for them to come forward at this time, after Hurricane Dorian, living through a pandemic and seeing the need to help the YMCA, that speaks ultimate volumes to me,” said Pinder-Johnson.

She noted that like all business establishments on the island there has been a decline, but for that glimmer of hope that was shown by the FCP, it really warmed the hearts of YMCA executives and staff.

“We are just so thankful that the need was seen and then executed by FCP and FCH,” she added.

For Falcons’ Boys Club Director Darrin Rolle, the monetary donation will contribute greatly to our organization’s motto of, “Building Youth is better than Mending Men.”

“I am just so thankful this afternoon to be able to partner with the Freeport Container Port and Freeport Harbour Group of Companies as we continue to develop Champs Community Center,” said Rolle.

Adding that FCP and FHC are staples in Grand Bahama, he noted that for the company to be able to support the club is tremendous.

Rolle, who is continuing with the phasing construction of Champs Community, which is located on Grand Bahama Way, is now complete with phase one and moving onto the second phase.

“We are hoping that by the end of September, donations like these will help us to have Phase II at the Champ Community Center completed.”

He shared that that phase of the project will include training for young men, which he hopes companies like FCP will partner in. “The Falcons’ Boys Club is a free organization and I hope it can remain like that, that when these companies join us management and employees can literally help us train young boys,” he noted.

Rolle explained that about half of the 1.37 acres of the property for the second phase is expected to be used for farming. “We are going to teach young men about farming. So, this donation is going to go a long way with helping us to do some foundational things as we prepare hopefully, by the end of June, to officially have everything begin to go.

“The Community Center is just that, a facility to try and get the community involved. And, the reason why we keep it like that is because we want the community and companies to know it is a partnership.

“Not only a partnership for us to build and use, but for residents to see they are a part of it too.”

Rolle noted that the center will be opened to the community as long as those utilizing the facility can follow certain rules that will be put in place.

“We already have employees from several companies using the basketball courts and the various things we have there, and I believe once we see this phase (Phase II) getting into the ground, it will stimulate more companies like the Freeport Container Port to be able to help us do more in our community.

“So, as an organization we are just thankful and this is indicative of what has taken place at the Falcons’ Boys Club over the past 24 years,” Rolle said.

The organization leaders all pointed out that despite the setbacks that Hutchison and the Freeport Container Port experienced because of hurricane Dorian, the group has not skipped a beat with timely donations.

Area Coordinator for the Grand Bahama Chapter of Special Olympics Bahamas Cheryl Hurst noted that FCP’s donation came in a timely manner.

“We here in Grand Bahama are hoping and looking forward to our continuous training of athletes, where we meet on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. The areas we are training in are track and field, soccer, and bocce.

“We have two international events coming up, one in Orlando next year – the U.S. Summer Games to be held in June 2022 and the following year, 2023, we are looking forward to taking a team to the World Games.

“The World Games is an international event, where special athletes from throughout the world gather to compete in several sporting disciplines,” Hurst explained.

She added that they are hoping to take the soccer team to the World Games. “At the 2018 Games our soccer team made it up to the semi-finals and we won a bronze medal. We also took a bocce team and two of our members – one from Grand Bahama, Stephen Russell, and the other from Abaco, Latoya – were on that team. They won the gold medal.

“So, we are grateful for this donation from one of our corporate companies, the Freeport Container Port. They always support, and on behalf of our Director Gilbert Williams we want to say a big thank you.”

Hurst noted that the donation will assist with purchasing equipment and transporting the athletes to and from training sessions.