Published 19 November 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
PM’s Legacy Health Walk magnetises largest and most colourful participation ever
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 17, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Celebrations to mark the 25 years of service to Constituency Number Seven and the country by Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris on Saturday November 17 entered a new phase as hundreds of walkers joined him in what was dubbed the Legacy Health Walk.
In the health walk’s eleven-year history, it was the first time the participants wore similar clothing as almost all wore orange T-shirts or polo shirts that had the ‘25 years of service by Dr the Hon Timothy Harris’ celebratory logo. They joined the Prime Minister as they traversed the picturesque constituency starting from Belle Vue and ending at Ottley’s. It was the largest walk in terms of numbers taking part.
“This has been our best health walk to date – the largest in terms of the numbers, the most colourful in terms of the outfit,” said Prime Minister Harris when he addressed the media at the Ottley’s hard courts where the walk ended. “I want to say a hearty thank you to all the people, not just from Constituency Seven but we had the entire country being represented today, and so I say special thank you to them all.”
A number of school children who are beneficiaries of the Dr Harris Constituency Number Seven Help-a-Child Programme were part of the Legacy Health Walk. They wore white T-shirts that bore the programme’s logo. The Legacy Health Walk also attracted toddlers, as a number of mothers brought along their young children some of who were in prams.
“I want to thank the primary schools who had a number of the students who were beneficiaries of Help-a-Child Programme participating,” observed the Honourable Prime Minister. “We are happy for their memory of gratitude, and their want to be a part of it.”
The Legacy Health Walk was to start at 6:00 am but many people were at the bus stop in Belle Vue, the walk’s starting point, by 5:30 am. Prime Minister Harris was among those who got there earlier and after people would have mingled and exchanged pleasantries, Peoples Labour Party’s National Chairman Mr Warren Thompson called everyone to order following which PLP’s Women’s Arm Representative Mrs Sonia Henry offered a word of prayer. The walkers set off at 6:12 am.
As the Legacy Health Walk was to celebrate the 25 years of service to the constituency and country by Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, a number of businesspersons from around the country who would have been touched over the period by him being an MP, Government Minister, and now a Prime Minister came out and were part the hundreds of walkers taking part.
Persons who would have individually been impacted by Dr Harris’ 25 years of service came out to show appreciation. The Honourable Prime Minister told the media that at the end of the walk a lady who would have received a three bedroomed after his intervention came over and told him that even though she was not feeling well, she had come to show her gratitude.
Also taking part were senior government officials, among them the Permanent Secretary for Education Mr Vincent Hodge, and Permanent Secretary for Health Mrs Delores Stapleton-Harris.
For the last 23 years Dr Harris has been sponsoring what is the longest running and best organised domino league, Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League, which has two teams from outside the constituency. A number of domino players led by the league’s coordinator Mr Calvin Farrell took part in the Legacy Health Walk.
As the walkers neared Mansion, a rainbow appeared in the skies, and many who feared it would rain were pleasantly relieved after they realised the rainbow was a sign that there would be no rain. For the first time the walk had a designated water-stop at Bourryeau Gate, where all participants stopped to quench their thirst. A healthy breakfast was served to all participants at the Ottley’s hard courts.
In his conclusion Prime Minister Harris noted: “For all these expressions of gratitude that we have had over the course of the celebratory events, I want to say thanks to all those people and to say how much I have been inspired by their expressions of gratitude – by their coming forward and by the massive showing that we have had at each and every event.”
A Planning Committee for the 25th Anniversary Celebrations which was put in place in September this year has so far executed a number of highly successful and well attended celebratory events since Sunday November 11. The events will run for the next two weeks.
Prime Minister Harris reminded the public of the Church Service which will be held on Sunday November 18 at Antioch Baptist Church in St. Johnston Village at 9:30 am, the only celebratory event outside Constituency Number Seven.
Pix captions:
1: A section of the participants of the Legacy Health Walk pictured with Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris at the Ottley’s hard courts where it ended.
2: The walkers led by Prime Minister Harris set off from the Belle Vue bus stop at 6:12 am.
3: Toddlers were not left out as this one is assisted by its mother who had to push the pram all the way to Ottley’s.
4: Walking past Tabernacle Village as Prime Minister led the group. However, a group of a few participants who chose to run instead of walking were way ahead of them.
5: Bourryeau Gate was a designated water-stop. The walkers posed for a group picture before proceeding on to Lodge Village, and eventually to the Ottley’s hard courts.
6: Prime Minister Harris with two of the many businesspersons who took part, Mr Stachio Williams of Open Interactive (left), and Mr Gretson Isaac of Googal Arts (right).
7: At the starting point, Prime Minister greets Mr Calvin Farrell who is the Coordinator of Constituency Number Seven Domino League. Looking on is Mr Kevin Williams.
8: Members of the Spanish Community also took part. Two of the local Spanish Community leaders are pictured with Prime Minister Harris (centre) at the end of the walk.
