Written by Azaleta Ishmael-Newry
Photo credits: Azaleta Ishmael-Newry
The Character Day 2021 campaign has kicked off this year’s theme, “Be the Reason” with a t-shirt competition won by three winners ages nine to their early twenties. The winning design will be featured on the official 2021, Character Day Bahamas t-shirts which will be worn by thousands of participants at schools, organizations, and businesses across The Bahamas. Besides bragging rights and 2 shirts each, there were cash prizes for the winners and a keepsake trophy.
Character Day will be observed on October 20, 2021. Activities leading up to it include training workshops and a Hidden Heroes campaign that will be launched in August. The public will be invited to nominate persons considered to be role models for good character whether they are every day or outstanding citizens, living in The Bahamas.
The first-place t-shirt design winner was fifteen-year-old Deanne Hagan whose conception of the theme, ‘Be the reason – that someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, loved and supported,’ was selected for this year’s t-shirts.
“Deanne’s text design spoke to the Character Day theme in a world where we have become more socially distant,” said Charlene Carey, project coordinator. “In Deanne’s conception, in this COVID-19 era, you can read and share the message without getting close to the person. It’s a positive uplifting statement that will help people think about the impact of their words and actions.”
Second place winner Kimya Poitier’s design of people connected in a circle represents people working together and has the words, ‘welcomed, valued, loved, supported, heard, seen.’ She explained that her teacher encouraged her to enter the competition and was excited when she learned that she had won. “I felt happy, excited and I just congratulated myself,” Kimya said with humility and with the shy, sweet confidence of a ten-and-a-half-year-old girl.
Third place winner Magan Smith’s design, ‘Be the reason someone smiles today,’ was a purposeful journey because after losing her job, she started a graphic design business during the pandemic. “I wanted to try my hand at the competition because it was a new business that I ventured into and I wanted to see how people would like my design.” Magan further explained that she wanted a design that popped and incorporated the beams of a lighthouse to present her message of brightness and hope.
Character Day Bahamas is led by the PACE Foundation and is sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation Inc. which offers the opportunity for t-shirts to be distributed free of charge to the schools and youth organizations participating in the program. Pace’s President, Sonia Brown commended Templeton World Charity Foundation for their support which is in the second year of a three-year award. “Because of Templeton, we can spread the message of good character, work with amazing youth, educators and community leaders, and build upon the program offered to teen mothers at the PACE School by our Youth Development Leader,” she said.
More information on Character Day, their programs and the Hidden Hero campaign including information about grants are available at www.characterdaybahamas.org or one can email - characterdaybahamas242@gmail.com.
PACE (Providing Access To Continued Education) Foundation is a non-profit that supports the work of the PACE Programme, a special school for teenage mothers. They firmly believe that everyone deserves a second chance and have had the privilege of giving second chances to teenage mothers for the past fifty years. More information can be found at http://www.pacebahamas.com.
