At the end of August, the Samuel Haynes Institute for Excellence (SHIE) hosted an End-of-Summer Ceremony in Belize City. SHIE runs afterschool and summer programs for children at risk in Belize City that are designed to spark their interest in academics, sports, and music. The ceremony was the culmination of this year’s summer program, and it included speakers, a raffle, a puppet show, the distribution of school backpacks, and more.
Caye International Bank has been a partner of SHIE for several years. Attorney Nagel, who is the chairman of the bank, and other senior bank executives were instrumental in creating a 501(c) (3) charitable foundation in the USA to help generate funding for the institute.
Fun for All
The End-of-Summer Ceremony kicked off with a prayer, the singing of the national anthem, and remarks from SHIE President Barbara Elrington. “Children are our most precious assets,” Elrington said, “and we must provide a better education for them.”
Michelle Duncan of Caye International Bank, who had personally met some children in the program, also said a few words. She emphasized how important education is and encouraged the students to continue striving to achieve their goals.
After the ceremony’s opening and remarks, attendees enjoyed a show with marionettes and ventriloquist puppets that the children themselves created during the summer. Children were also given raffle tickets for a number of prizes, including balls, headphones, baseball caps, and more. All the students who participated in the camp’s sports teams received medals. Joel and Susan Nagel donated 100 school backpacks to the children, which were distributed at the event, along with another 100 from other donors.
The ceremony ended with ECI Development CEO Mike Cobb and his wife, Carol, donating two clarinets and presenting them to President Elrington. The clarinets were donated in honor of Carol’s father a lifelong musician who passed away recently. The Cobbs hope that their gift will be used well by students with musical aspirations.
