CIBC FirstCaribbean demonstrated its commitment to youth and sports in the country through contributions to three youth summer sports programs touching over 700 young Bahamians in total. In a short presentation, CIBC FirstCaribbean awarded the Nelson Cooper Peace on the Streets Basketball Tournament, Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp and First Touch Soccer Camp with monetary gifts to aid their work.
The organizations were selected for their dedication to the development of youth through sports according to Marie Rodland-Allen, managing director of CIBC FirstCaribbean. "Sports play an integral part in developing discipline, self-esteem and opportunities for children. Each of these organizations has demonstrated an amazing commitment to advancing Bahamian youth of all backgrounds through their activities, to proven results. CIBC FirstCaribbean is proud to be a continuous supporter of outstanding programs like these," she said.
The Nelson Cooper Peace on the Streets Annual Basketball Tournament is hosted by Youth Against Violence; it is the largest event of its kind in the Caribbean and has been advocating against street violence for 20 years. Carlos Reid, founder of the organization, stated that he and his team are pleased with the growth of the event over the years and thank corporate sponsors like CIBC FirstCaribbean for their continued support. "We started out with eight teams and over the years it has grown tremendously to 42 teams," said Mr. Reid "Our intention is to promote peace on our streets in a time when it seems like everybody is going haywire and to encourage people to unite and come together in love for a stronger Bahamas.
We are looking forward to an awesome event, and we want to thank CIBC FirstCaribbean for their continuous support for the past 12 years." Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp is also a veteran youth program, going into its 16th year of activities. The eponymous camp and its founder are known for utilising basketball as a vehicle to create opportunities for aspiring student athletes. "We encourage our students to use basketball as an avenue to get a good education and believe that once you have the right attitude and your priorities are straight you can have that opportunity," said Kevin Johnson. "The donation from CIBC will help to house NBA scouts to work with the kids, and we hope that ultimately our athletes can benefit from scholarships and opportunities to play overseas.
In fact, this year, five alumni of the camp are getting scholarships." He went on to thank the bank for its support, "Once again I want to thank CIBC FirstCaribbean for their support throughout the years. Without them the camp wouldn't be possible; we thank them and encourage them to keep up the support they give throughout the community.
"Newcomer First Touch Soccer was launched in 2014 with a mission to promote soccer to first time players between the ages of four and 15. The kids get full soccer training, so at the end of the week they are competent enough to step on the soccer field. "The objective is to bring kids into soccer through the camp and, for those who already play, to sharpen their skills," said director Carl Lynch. "The funds from CIBC FirstCaribbean helped to pay for some kids who can't afford it to come on scholarship, and to defray costs for the equipment the camp needs.
I want to thank CIBC FirstCaribbean for coming on board at late notice. This is something that they have done in the past in terms of sponsoring youth soccer in The Bahamas, so we really appreciate them and hope this is a relationship that will continue to grow." The gifts are courtesy of the FirstCaribbean International Comtrust Foundation, a Caribbean-wide initiative which ensures that one percent of the bank's profits reach important causes which are selected by employees. Focus on youth is a major component of CIBC FirstCaribbean's four-pronged social impact policy which also promotes health and wellness, staff volunteerism and environmental causes.
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