Nearly $10k raised for cancer patient Roy A. Hodge
“It is different today because communities have evolved and we have become caught up with our various busy schedules, but there is nothing which says that we cannot go back to that year. So this is here we are tonight, as in the days of old, to pledge our support for Roy, to demonstrate that we care, and to assure him that he can lean on us and we would help him carry on,” said Ms Blyden-Rubaine.
The group reunited within a very short time and on the night of Saturday August 24, 2013 they pulled off a very successful charity event at the Benjamin Romney Community Park in West End. The turnout was excellent and comprised a smooth blend of youths, young adults, mature adults and senior citizens. The theme for the night was ‘Lean on me’.
Ms Blyden-Rubaine told Virgin Islands News Online that they had agreed to set their target at the lowest bar of $10,000 to start with. “After the event last night, we came very close to that amount. It was a beautiful event, I was very pleased by the response of persons and even more that we are helping our brother to keep smiling,” she said following the event.
Among those present at the charity were also members of the BVI Cancer Society who made a public donation to their member Roy A. Hodge. The presentation was made by Miss BVI 2013/2014 Rosanna K. Chichester. Several cancer survivors and persons who have won battles over other chronic illness were on spot to give words of inspiration.
The choir opened the night singing lustily and in excellent unison as if they were never apart. They did the song “Try a little kindness” made popular by Glen Campbell. The piece sung by reunited choir members Mr Melvin Stoutt, Lavern Stoutt, Prudence Mathavious, Phillis Evans, Charles Benjamin and Gwendolyn Blyden-Rubaine sank deep into the heart of Mr Hodge as he lustily sang along. Mr Hodge was a joyful character all night and charged those present not to feel sorry or pity him.
“I told people that come to me, I don’t need the sorry part, I don’t need your pity, I don’t need all the negative vibes that you might want to say,” Mr Hodge said. “Every day we get up in this country that we live in and there are people, they might not have cancer, but they have many problems that we can contribute towards helping them to overcome and make our society better.”
Hodge was confident that because at some stage in his life he would have touched the lives of others, it has resulted in the 1070’s Youth Choir being moved to extend the olive branch to him now. “I would venture to say, and I am not patting my own back, the majority persons here tonight… the reason why they rally round is because at some point in my life we touched and that touch was like electricity and it left something behind,” he said.
He was high in praise of the values he was taught earlier in his life by his grandmother. “She taught me the most important part, which is purity, the un-conditionality and the discipline and I have learnt,” he added.
The night featured a wide range of cultural items by various groups and individuals. A cultural food bar was well supported and many persons made on the spot donations while others made pledges which Ms Blyden-Rubaine will be seeking to collect during the course of this week.
The charity event is just one of several that will be held by the 1970’s Youth Choir. According to Ms Blyden-Rubaine, their next step would be the reproduction of one of Mr Hodges books titled ‘Fish Soup’ which would be sold and proceeds will be go to the choir member and author.
The 1970’s Youth Choir was formed in the early 1970’s by the late H. Lavity Stoutt and was led by Mrs Marva Benjamin-Martin. It provided training opportunities in singing, public speaking and recitation. The group was said to have been a very tight knitted one and though they had parted over the years they continued to hold each other in high regard.
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16 Responses to “Nearly $10k raised for cancer patient Roy A. Hodge”
he will reward.