SEEN UP NORTH – Bajan in Canada giving back

The words “service to humanity is the best work of life” are the guiding principles of the Jaycees and of Grant Morris.Morris, a pillar of the Barbadian and wider Caribbean community in Toronto, has nurtured a dynamic social opportunity that is extending a vital helping hand to youths in Barbados and Canada.“It’s our way of trying to give back and to bring people closer together, foster an atmosphere of friendliness and cooperation while at the same time raising funds for crucial social causes and youth development programmes,”said Morris, a highly trained and successful urban development and real estate specialist.The Barbadian was recently described at a public function by Dr Leroy McLean, Barbados’ Consul General in Toronto, as being “truly an unsung hero”. He, along with his wife Pat Sammy and others, have organised an important item on the city’s social calendar.Simply called The Caribbean Event, it attracts at least 400 guests every year, provides an evening of entertainment and a sumptuous meal, and generates the equivalent of BDS$60 000 in scholarships for enterprising students in Barbados and Canada and special grants to educational and social development institutions. As if those results weren’t enough, it fosters the “Caribbean event family” atmosphere which paves the way for success.“The event continues to be an opportunity to renew old acquaintances, meet new friends, forge business opportunities and, most importantly, open the door to networking,” Sammy said in a document distributed later to everyone who attended.“We provide the account in the interest of transparency,” Morris explained.Held under a large tent in the yardsof the Morris’ home and that of a neighbour, this year’s proceeds are going to:• Isha Emmanuel, a medical student at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, who will receive CAN$5 000 (BDS$9 270) to help continue her training to become a doctor.• Nicholas Gooding, a community planning student at Ontario’s Waterloo University, who will get CAN$2 000 (BDS$3 700).  The son of a single mother, Nicholas is receiving medical treatment while pursuing a degree in planning.• A poor family in Barbados whose house is badly in need of repairs will receive $1000 at the request of Dr McLean.• The Event’s Scholarship Endowment Fund at the University of Ontario Institute Of Technology is being given an injection of $11 000, allowing the endowment to rise to CAN$180 000.• The St Stephen’s Community Ministry of Downview, an outreach effort that aids needy youths. The church’s project is the brainchild of Canon Stephen Fields, a Barbadian whose Downsview Youth Covenant is reaching out to black youth, encouraging them to continue their education and keep on the straight and narrow path. The community ministry is the recipient of CAN$11 000.But that’s not all. John Rollock Bursaries are also being given to four Canadian-Caribbean students “in recognition of their sustained academic achievement”. It’s a way of encouraging them to reach for academic excellence, says Morris.Actually, a linchpin of the highly successful “event” is Grant Morris Associates Limited, a real estate planning and development firm headed by the Barbadian. It provides $10 000 in annual seed capital which is used to cover the costs of entertainment, food, catering, outdoor carpeting, the large tent and other preparations.“We set aside funds from each of our contracts for this worthy cause,” said Morris. “In a sense, our clients are making a contribution too. The full $30 000 raised is being disbursed.”A star of this year’s recent event was Isha Emannuel, who travelled from Barbados to Toronto for the function, and is the daughter of a Barbadian father and a Vincentian mother whose economic challenges may have spurred her on to outstanding academic and clinical success. Last year, she received almost CAN$5 000.“We helped to make it possible for her to attend this year’s event so we can draw attention to the example she is setting of what is required of our young people who have set goals and are attaining them,” Grant said. “She was our student of the year. Clearly, the event couldn’t have been as successful as it was without the energetic effort of our committee, (unpaid) consultants and well-wishers. We are eternally grateful to all of them. It’s truly a community undertaking backed by our event family.”