Barbados’ Special Olympics team will be on display at the 2015 Special World Games, thanks to telecommunications provider Digicel.
Digicel reaffirmed its commitment to the Barbados Special Olympics Association and its efforts to field a full team at the 2015 games in Los Angeles by making its second annual financial contribution to the Road To World Games Fund on Tuesday.
 In 2012, Digicel approached the association with a view to facilitating a steady stream of donations in the lead up to the 2015 games, to reach the goal of the BDS$250 000 needed to send 30 athletes and 13 officials to the event.
 This decision was taken to avoid the problems which have occurred in the past, of last minute pushes prior to the games which are held every four years.
 On Tuesday Digicel invited some of the island’s Special Olympics athletes and officials to its new head office in Warrens, St Michael, for a tour of the office and to meet the staff, who have been lending their support to the association.
“These athletes are an inspiration to us all. From the time they entered the office they lit up the entire place, interacting with staff, taking photographs and learning a bit about what we do here on a day-to-day basis at Digicel,”  Mark Linehan, CEO of Digicel (Barbados) Limited, said on Tuesday.
 “We are delighted to work with them, support them and even play with them. As the following weeks and months roll on we have a number of initiatives we intend to introduce, to ensure that all Barbadians have a true appreciation for these athletes in the same way that we do.”
 Commercial director Alex Tasker said the association held a special place in the hearts of Digicel employees, as it represented a segment of the society which Digicel was quite keen on supporting – that of special needs children, an area of great focus for the company’s chairman and visionary Dennis O’Brien.
 “In light of this, Digicel will ensure that the fund is widely promoted among all of our corporate partners, customers and the Barbadian public in general, encouraging them to give generously.
“We are pleased to throw the weight and integrity of Digicel behind this effort and are confident that Barbadians will follow our lead.”
 Apart from promoting the fund, which was set up with CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, Digicel is also in the process of gaining the support of its corporate partners by asking them to come on board in one way or another to assist with the monumental but very obtainable goal.  (BA/PR)
