Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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Letters | Opinion | Art & Culture | Weekend Report
Make it an annual event Over the past several years, residents of Grand Bahama have become accustomed to the excitement of a major Junkanoo parade through the streets of downtown Freeport either on the Easter weekend or during a holiday weekend in the summer - thanks mainly to promoter and public relations executive Peter Adderley. Whether under the promotional moniker of "Feel The Rush" or "Just Rush," the streets of Freeport came alive, and Grand Bahamians and visitors to the island got to thoroughly enjoy a performance of Junkanoo staged at a level almost as exciting as the major Junkanoo parades traditionally held in New Providence on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. On the weekends it was held, there was no mistaking the tremendous boost to Grand Bahama's economy, which has been in dire straits since two devastating hurricanes in 2004 resulted in the closure of the Crowne Plaza at Royal Oasis Resort — the nexus for a good percentage of the business generated by establishments in the nearby International Bazaar. This year, for whatever reason, there was no "Feel The Rush" or "Just Rush" on the Easter weekend nor on the Labour Day weekend, and none is apparently planned for the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend. The absence of this important revenue-generating event in Grand Bahama this year has spawned suggestions that maybe it is time for the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) to use its considerable influence to ensure that such an event becomes a permanent annual fixture on the Calendar of Events for Grand Bahama. The original idea was that of Mr. Adderley's, but if — for whatever reason — he is no longer capable of organizing the event, funding should be provided to the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee to work in conjunction with those responsible for organizing the Junkanoo parades in New Providence to put on a major parade in Grand Bahama during the summer. The financial burden, of course, should not be on the GBPA alone; the many businesses on Grand Bahama that benefited from the increased number of visitors that came to the island during the weekends when these parades were held should also chip in financially. What's more, there is nothing to prevent the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee from becoming more creative in raising funds, rather than just depending on hand-outs from the government and the business community. The committee could actually raise funds year-round using cookouts and weekend parties, featuring Junkanoo rushouts, and other fund-raising avenues. This may require committee members to restructure the organization more along business lines, but that should be the case even now. The Ministry of Tourism should also be required to play a role in making the Junkanoo Weekend an annual event in Grand Bahama by promoting it abroad as one of the "must-attend" happenings in The Bahamas. To be sure, one of the big drawbacks to encouraging more visitors to come to Grand Bahama is that there are not enough things for them to do once they get here. In the same manner that some Caribbean countries promote "Jazz Weekends" in their islands, Grand Bahama can be the place to visit for a Junkanoo Weekend over the Easter weekend or Labour Day weekend. Since members of the Grand Bahama Christian Council had some objection to the "Feel The Rush" being held on a holiday weekend that they insisted was a "religious" occasion, then the Labour Day weekend could be blocked off on the calendar for this event. The bottom line is that "Feel The Rush" or "Just Rush," call it what you may, is a good idea that should be made an annual event in Grand Bahama. Monday, June 22, 2009