Students throughout the Union Village community attended the fourth annual Neil Percentie Back-to-School Day hosted by Toastmasters Club 1600 and Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited on Saturday. Neil Percentie had been a member of Club 1600 and had hosted the back-to-school day in the community he grew up in until his tragic death in 2011. Seeking to continue his legacy, Club 1600 has been providing school supplies, complimentary barbering services and a day of fun to students in Union Village since 2012.

Fidelity Toastmasters Club of Distinction - sponsored by Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited - partnered with Club 1600 providing backpacks, school supplies and snacks to 200 students in the community. These students ranged from kindergarten through to high school. "Fidelity Bank is all about empowering our young people, especially with the increase in social ills affecting our communities", said Gregory Bethel, Fidelity president of retail banking.

"It is vital that we reach our children with positivity early. We want them to know that they are important." In addition to the school supplies, Fidelity also gave each student a piggy bank, encouraging them to begin saving before they enter the workplace. Bethel said this is to encourage responsible money management before these students become employed. "The average Bahamian does not know how to save. If we can implant this fundamental lesson in these students early, we can greatly improve the quality of their financial lives", he said.

Fidelity Toastmasters Club of Distinction members were on site to distribute the back-to-school packages and provide mentorship to the students in Union Village. Lakira P. Miller, president of Fidelity Toastmasters Club of Distinction, encouraged parents in the community to be active participants in their children's lives, as this would greatly impact their academic success.

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