Mary Lawrence, chair of the Cayman Islands celebration committee, is asking families and organisations to support significant events taking place to mark 60 years of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign over the British Empire, of which the Cayman Islands remains an overseas territory.

Here is a calendar of the events planned to date:

Saturday, 26 May      Beacon run commencing at West Bay and North Side. Ending at Pedro bluff with Acting Governor Franz Manderson lighting the beacon. The beacon will remain lit until 5 June.

Saturday, 2 June       Celebration committee with Cayman Islands Olympic Committee to host luncheon with funds going to support athletes participating in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

6pm    The committee will also host a “flotilla” in Hog Sty Bay and people are encouraged to participate with decorated boats.

11pm    Fireworks

Sunday 3 June           Churches will host a special worship service and jubilee luncheon as part of the celebrations. The official prayer has been circulated to be read in churches.

2pm    Official church service of thanksgiving will take place at the Elmslie Memorial United Church in George Town.

Monday, 4 June         Public holiday. Uniform and civic groups will gather at the Government Administration Building to make its way to the Legislative Assembly Building for the Queen’s Birthday celebrations and day of international culture and food.

The events will be duplicated on the Sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman with Wanda Tibbitts and the committee heading the events on the two Islands.

Tuesday, 5 June        World Environment Day. Trees will be planted around Grand Cayman. The goal is to plant 6,000 trees by the end of the year; 1,000 for each decade of the Queen’s reign in the Cayman Islands.

The Commonwealth Society is also launching a Jubilee time capsule with a collection of stories, pictures and memorabilia of the past 60 years to mark the occasion. Lemuel Hurlston, committee deputy chairman, is encouraging schools and the community to get involved, which can be submitted online at www.jublileetimecapsule.org.

The Cayman committee is working on highlighting the Queen’s visit to the Cayman Islands and encourages communities to participate with materials to be on display at the George Town Public Library. Flags, commemorative coins, memorabilia and stamps will be available from the museum. The official emblem for the Jubilee can be found on the royal website.

Mrs Lawrence said. “The problem we have had in developing our country is: we have never focused on our history. Our children and grandchildren need to know who we are and how we got where we are. I am hoping that these events will help us focus once again on where we came from and how we got here. The Quincentennial celebrations brought to the forefront that we did have a past, history and culture as a people and we hope this Jubilee celebration will imprint in peoples’ minds once again that the Cayman Islands are a part of something big and something great.

“The cost of the events will not be as much as our Quincentennial celebrations. When it comes to finances there is not enough money. Most of the things done during Quincentennial will act as a backdrop for the celebrations.”