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(CNS): At the 20th National Heroes Day awards ceremony on Monday, Premier Wayne Panton said that the “selflessness, kindness, and love of country” of volunteers and charities had “created a roadmap for success that we can and should follow to preserve the most beautiful parts of our culture and people”. In his address on this year’s theme, which is Volunteerism and Charitable Services, he described these heroes as the Cayman Islands’ “social capital”, critical to its development and sustainability, filling the gaps left by the government and the private sector.
“They are the embodiment of Caymankind: caring, altruistic, helpful, and hospitable. Whether deliberately or on an unconscious level, our nominees have adopted the Caymanian values that our forefathers left behind for us, and we are better for it,” he said.
Over two hundred volunteers and ten charitable organisations were celebrated, and Susan Olde received the philanthropist award for making donations exceeding $1 million to charitable services in the Cayman Islands. Also honoured were 124 Pioneers for making exceptional contributions for over twenty years to voluntary services within these islands, and 70 Early Pioneers, categorised as any individual alive or deceased who founded or made an exceptional contribution to the development of voluntary service in the Cayman Islands prior to 1980.
The ten charitable organisations awarded for exceptional contributions to the development, enhancement, safety and well-being of the community in the Cayman Islands for more than twenty years were: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands Branch of the Guide Association – Girl Guides Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels, Cayman Islands Red Cross, Rotary Central Cayman Islands, Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Special Olympics Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands Cancer Society, Girls’ Brigade in the Cayman Islands Ltd and the Lions Club of Grand Cayman.
Panton said the country was immensely grateful for them and government would always support those who are actively and tirelessly working to improve the lives of others.
“If we trace the success of our island nation over the decades, we can see that much of it is tied to the kindness of our people. This warmth and hospitality draws thousands of tourists to our shores each year, many of them being repeat visitors who call Cayman their second home. This generosity of spirit is what compels Cayman residents to respond when our regional neighbours and countries abroad are in crisis and need support,” he said.
“However, even more important is the charity shown at home, right here in our three islands, through the work of our charities, non-profit organisations and volunteers, such as our nominees today.”
Panton said this “social capital”, defined by the World Bank as “the institutions, relationships and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions”, had been proven to be “critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable”. He noted that neither the government nor the private sector is always able to meet all of society’s needs.
“Volunteers and charitable services can reach the community much more intimately as they labour in the trenches every day,” he said, adding that they are well positioned to identify the pressing issues in society and share that knowledge to help the government allocate funding and support where it is needed most.
“Our country was built by many good men and women who gave freely of their time, talents, expertise and possessions in service to God and country, laying a foundation upon which these good nominees today continue to build,” the premier told the audience. “No country can thrive without volunteers and charitable organisations. I also know that they need to receive the recognition and gratitude they deserve.”
All of those receiving awards were nominated by a member of the public but the recipients represented the tip of the iceberg of the extensive volunteer and charitable community in the Cayman Islands.
Thanking Culture Minister Bernie Bush, the nomination committee and others involved in the ceremony, the premier said the event was not only important for the nominees, but for everyone in Cayman, as he encouraged people to find opportunities to express gratitude to the volunteers they encounter each day and to get involved in volunteering.
Minister Bush said the government recognised the commitment that volunteers and not-for-profit organisations have shown in our community. “These individuals give of their time, energy and talents for free, all for the betterment of these three Islands home,” he added.
See the full event on CIGTV below:
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