Dionne Crichton-Bailey, president of the Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses Association of New York, Inc. (SVGNANY), is hailing as a tremendous success the group’s hosting Sunday of a “Winter Wonderland Entertainment Evening” at the Golden Hall of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal (Anglican) Church on Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn.
“This was an evening of entertainment, music, lots of fun, great food and drinks, which included our traditional Christmas black cake, sweet bread, sorrel, mauby and ginger beer, which were in great demand,” Crichton-Bailey told Caribbean Life.
“It also gave everyone the opportunity to mix and mingle, meet and reconnect with old friends, and even make new friends, as we welcome the Christmas season and think of ‘the less fortunate,’” she added, stating that patrons even travelled from out of state.
She said representatives from several Caribbean nursing organizations and Vincentian groups in New York, as well as “lots of Vincentians and non-Vincentians” attended the event.
“From all reports, it was ‘beautiful,’ ‘lovely,’ ‘wonderful,’ ‘great,’ ‘very entertaining,’ ‘I loved it,’ ‘great job,’ and the list goes on,” Crichton-Bailey said.
“It is very heartwarming, gratifying and rewarding hearing the various positive comments over and over,” she added.
“Winter Wonderland” featured, among others, a trumpet fanfare by Kenny John; miming by Roger G Unique Force; drumming by Sacred Heart Divine Youth Group; steel pan medley by Siboney Hector, great-grand daughter of Eileen Cato, a former prominent Vincentian nurse; dance by Jadawna Dufont; liturgical dance by St. Paul’s Dance Ensemble; and musical presentations by Tobagonian songbird Hilton Samuel, Vincentian soca artiste Michelle “Hibiscus” Hillocks and Vincentian calypsonian Cyril “Scorcher” Thomas.
Hector entertained with “O, Holy Night” and Becket’s “Sing Me Noel.”
Samuel mesmerized patrons with “Silent Night” and “Make Everyday Christmas for your Woman.”
In keeping with the Christmas season and preferring not to sing soca Sunday night, Hibiscus — the winner of the Vincy New Song Competition by Level Vibes Production in Brooklyn, who trekked from Philadelphia – belched out “Walking in the Winter Wonderland” and “Glory to the New Born King.”
But Scorcher, the former Deputy New York Consul General, did not hesitate to sing soca, to the delight of the appreciative audience, stating: “I don’t have a Christmas song; I only sing for Christmas.”
He brought the house down with “The Legend of Soca,” “Suck It” and “Party Fever.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ New York Consul General Howie Prince and president of the Brooklyn-based Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations, U.S.A., Inc. (COSAGO) Laverne McDowald-Thompson addressed patrons.
The Brooklyn-based Club St. Vincent, Inc. also used the opportunity to draw a raffle, of which Crichton-Bailey, ironically, was the winner.
She received a plaque, with the inscription of Paramount Carib Chief Joseph Chatoyer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, presented by Club St. Vincent, Inc.’s public relations officer Verna Arthur and assistant secretary Pamela Mornix.
Crichton-Bailey said “it took a great amount of time, effort, planning and commitment to put this event together.
“However, with a group of hard-working and committed nurses that represent SVGNA of NY Inc., it made it all much easier,” she added. “And, apart from that, when we think of the reason or reasons for doing what we do best, we just do it.”
Celia Bramble, a former SVGNANY president, served as mistress of ceremonies.
Crichton-Bailey said some of proceeds from the fundraising event will be used to “provide well-needed supplies” for the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in the Vincentian capital, Kingstown, as well as for district clinics in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
