NEW YORK – Social commentator, journalist and radio talk show host, Barbara Gloudon, will be special guest at the 16th Annual Scholarship Gala of the New York based Jamaican charity Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc. The event, which takes place on Saturday, December 4, 2010 will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, LaGuardia Airport. The festivities will begin with cocktails at 7:30 pm to be followed by dinner and dance. Proceeds from this major fundraiser are used to provide scholarships and support for deserving students and Jamaican child care institutions in need.
The well-respected senior journalist and playwright is the author of Stella Seh, a satirical look at the social and political environment of Jamaica in the 1970s. Her many honors include the Order of Jamaica and the Order of Distinction from the government of Jamaica, and an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies, Mona.
Barbara Gloudon (file photo)
Gloudon continues to contribute to print and writes a weekly public affairs column for the Jamaica Observer. She also chairs the Little Theatre Movement (LTM). In her LTM capacity she is a member of the creative team that produces the annual LTM National Pantomime, for which she has written over twenty scripts.
This year’s gala dinner and awards is being held under the patronage of Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Her Excellency Audrey Marks. Among the 2010 honorees are The Daily News; Cathleen Decker, VP Lou Hammond & Associates, which represents a major Jamaican hotel chain; Sharon Locke, Founder of Practical Solutions, an Accounting Firm and Ruder Finn, the public relations agency of record for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).
For more than a decade, the volunteer-driven organization has supported a number of institutions in Jamaica and the United States. Among them are the Alpha Boys’ Home; Glenhope Place of Safety; Marigold Child Care Centre, Musgrave Girls’ Home, City of Refuge and Summerfield Boys Home in Jamaica; and in New York, the Jamaica, Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life.
Founder and Chairman of COJO Gary Williams said, “In what has been a challenging economic environment, it is heartening to see companies and individuals still making a contribution towards enhancing the future – our children.”
A number of corporate entities including JetBlue have donated airline tickets as raffle prizes with the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and other Jamaican properties providing hotel accommodation. Tickets for the annual gala are on sale now and can be obtained by contacting the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) office at 1-888- 275-0121.
