People from all walks of life gathered at Taino Beach on Sunday, December 11 for a special "Operation Thank You" event for all those who assisted with the restoration of Grand Bahama, following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in October.
Staff from Grand Bahama Power Company and their affiliates, BTC, Cable Bahamas and their affiliates, Sanitation Services, Corporate Grand Bahama and the Government of The Bahamas united to restore essential services as quickly as possible.
Although efforts are still ongoing, Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, said residents are now receiving materials so as to restore their homes.
"I would like to say thank you to all those individuals who went beyond the call of duty during the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew."
The Minister recalled coming outside following the storm and seeing the devastation, got on his knees and gave God thanks that there had not been a single death in the community as a result of the storm.
"I'm saying that over the past few months, a lot has been done. A lot of the restoration effort is still ongoing and I would like to reassure the residents of Grand Bahama, particularly those who have experienced severe devastation to their homes, that we are now in the restoration mode where we are actually bringing relief to those individuals in terms of building materials and man power resources."
The Minister continued, "One of the greatest things I've encountered as a result of Hurricane Matthew is the way how our private sector and government unified our forces so that we could bring economic growth and development to the island."
It was through partnership between the Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the government, a tripartite agreement has been established to be in the communities to achieve the resurgence of the economy.
During the celebration at Pirates Cove, there was something for everyone. The free event was scheduled for the whole family and a Children's Concert, a Gospel Concert as well as a Junkanoo Rushout were all lined up, though abbreviated because of inclement weather.
By Robyn Adderley
Bahamas Information Services
