Gun club helps bird boys
Published:Friday | September 7, 2012 | 12:00 AM
It's past midway into this year's bird-shooting season and, as is customary, the members of the Driftwood Gun Club was once again making its presence felt in Treasure Beach and surrounding communities of the parish of St Elizabeth.
Led by president of the club, Nari Williams-Singh, the members of the club used the third weekend to make some well-needed donations to assist bird boys who attend schools in the parish.
They presented 15 packages containing bags, books, pens, pencils and erasers to the boys.
Bird boys collect and clean the birds and generally help make the job of hunting easier.
But also of significance was the donation of a large canvas bag of cricket gear to boys who attend the Barbery Hall Primary School, near Mountainside, and located between Treasure Beach and Black River in the breadbasket parish.
Suzett Grindley-Levy, who operates Levy's Hardware Store in Barbery Hall, approached the club after she noticed that the boys from the school, who love to play cricket, had no bats.
"They used to come to me regularly to beg pieces of board to fashion their own cricket bats," she told The Gleaner.
"I noticed that every year the Driftwood Club always makes donations to various groups in the community when they come for bird season," she said.
She solicited the club's help on behalf of the boys and, last Saturday night, the club members delivered. Mrs Levy-Grindley gratefully accepted the much-needed gear for the boys. The bag contained three bats, stumps, hats, gloves, practice balls, three pairs of pads and three leather balls.
A smiling and grateful Levy-Grindley accepted the gifts for the boys, who she said were looking forward to the items as much as they were anticipating the school supplies.
Darin James, president of the Sandy Bank Basic School in Treasure Beach, was the recipient of back-to-school funds to help defray the costs of an assistant teacher at the school. There are 45 students and three full-time teachers on staff. James said the school is doing well and they are looking forward to its continued growth.
Williams-Singh told The Gleaner the back-to-school effort was coordinated and spearheaded by Christina East, a Driftwood member.