Fort Lauderdale, FL – October 20 - It has been recorded that in 1896 when Miami, FL was chartered as a city, more than 40 (forty) percent of the black population was Bahamian.
Against the backdrop of recorded history of Bahamian migration to Florida, the Communications Department of The Bahamas Tourist Office, in 2009 launched a “Come Home to Your Family,” promotion with Hot 105 FM Radio, Hollywood, Florida. The winner of the four-month long promotion, Andrea McDonald, won ten tickets to take her family to The Bahamas and as a result will travel to Nassau, October 28-31, for a Family Reunion.
The promotion "Come Home to Your Family...Discover Your Roots in The Bahamas” was issued to South Floridians with Bahamian ancestry. They were invited to explore their Bahamian heritage with a view to uncovering and then returning to their roots. The thrust of the promotion was to encourage Family Reunions in any of the beautiful Bahamian Islands.
In her winning entry, Ms. McDonald spoke of the importance of introducing The Islands of The Bahamas to her grandchildren. The grand mom said that her grandkids were born and bred in the United States, and other than the food (Bahamian dishes she cooked), had little to no exposure to their rich Island heritage – the beautiful beaches, the unique music of Junkanoo and Rake and Scrape and the warm friendly people with the lilting musical dialect. Asked who will be joining her on her winning trip, Mrs. McDonald happily noted that “Quite a few of my grandkids will be travelling to Nassau for the Family Reunion, and this will be the first time travelling to The Bahamas for most of them.”
Bahamas Tourism’s General Manager, Communications, Anita Johnson-Patty said, “We are so happy that Mrs. McDonald’s family in The Bahamas, organized a fun-filled family fiesta as soon as they learned she had won a “Come Home,” promotion.” The Reunion will include a welcome reception on Friday night that is expected to draw a group of between 80 and 100 persons from the U.S., Nassau, Grand Bahama and the Out Islands. Those in attendance will represent McDonald’s Adams, Wilkenson and Strachan family members. Among the other planned activities for the weekend are a tour of Nassau, a worship service and an all day Bahamian-styled Family Beach Picnic.
“Family Reunions have become increasingly popular over the past few decades,” Ms. Johnson-Patty observed, adding, “The Bahamas offers a large variety of beautiful beaches, lots of activity, sports and sightseeing making it an ideal location for family groups of all ages. It is our hope that people will think of our Island destination when considering a site for their Family Reunions.”
