Rugby Barbados World 7s (RBW7s) Tournament organisers have officially announced a donation of $10 225 BBD to the Barbados Cancer Society (BCS) as a result of the 2019 Gavin Clark Memorial RBW7s Charity Golf Tournament last month. The Charity Golf Tournament was held at the Barbados Golf Club to honour the late Gavin Clark, a Caribbean Rugby stalwart and passionate advocate for breast cancer research.
President of the BCS, Dr. Dorothy Cooke-Johnson, expressed her heartfelt thanks to all participants and donors, saying the funds raised by the RBW7s Charity Event will significantly assist Barbados’ national cancer body to continue to provide a range of important care and support services to those affected by cancer on the island. This includes (but is not limited to) contributing to purchasing breast cancer prosthesis for women who have had mastectomies, support funding for screening and detection tests, medicine and outpatient transportation, financial compensation due to inability to work in some cases, as well as go towards assistance for children diagnosed with childhood cancer and their families.
Dr. Cooke-Johnson also revealed the donation by RBW7s was so influential to the current operations of the BCS, that it in fact immediately helped to fund the cost of crucial testing for a woman to be sent overseas for analysis and will assist to ease any financial hardship she may experience by providing contributions for medication and/or transport as required.
Manager of the RBW7s Local Organising Committee, George Nicholson, said he was pleased that Rugby in Barbados was beginning to make a name for itself as a socially-conscious sport and that the event was the third annual Charity Event for RBW7s owners, with the 2018 RBW7s Charity Dinner raising substantial funds for the Rotary Club of Barbados South, with part of the proceeds going to the Stephen Alleyne Sport for Life Programme who mentor ‘at-risk’ youth. “We are proud to be associated with the BCS and to do our part in continuing to help to deliver important national health and well-being services to our community,” he said. “RBW7s wholeheartedly thanks all the local and international brands who rallied together to donate top-quality prizes which included JetBlue Vacations certificates and JetBlue flight certificates, an exclusive West Coast spa treatment, free car rentals, hotel staycations, gift bags, and wine and cheese hampers. I would also like to extend our gratitude to all Golf Tournament participants, the Barbados Golf Club, and JetBlue Vacations, as well as a special mention to Lynn de Cambra-McLeod and Cooper Kauffman Consultants Ltd. for their additional donations. Gavin Clark would be very proud.”
Nicholson also confirmed that this year’s Gavin Clark Memorial RBW7s Charity Golf Tournament will be held at the Barbados Golf Club in early December and will once again kick off an action-packed few days of sport for Barbados, with the highly-anticipated RBW7s Tournament to follow at The Bellevue Plantation & Polo Club over 4-5 December. Now in its fifth year in Barbados since relocating from Trinidad, he said that this year the longest running Club Rugby 7s Tournament in the Caribbean is adding Men’s and Women’s Social Divisions to its Elite component alongside new prizes, and will offer more of a lively entertainment and family-friendly atmosphere than previous years at a new multipurpose venue for both players and spectators to enjoy.
Featured Image: Manager of the RBW7s Local Organising Committee George Nicholson (left) presents the donation on behalf of RBW7s to President of the Barbados Cancer Society, Dr. Dorothy Cooke-Johnson.