The Cayman Islands Red Cross hosted its 11th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event on Saturday, 16th January, 2016.

“The event started as a way to recognise the tremendous work done by the organisation’s volunteer core prior to, during and following the passing of Hurricane Ivan,” said Director Jondo Obi. “It has become an annual event aimed at highlighting the accomplishments of the organisation through its volunteers over the course of the year, and setting the tone for the year ahead.”

Her Excellency the Governor and Patron of the Red Cross, Helen Kilpatrick, and the Deputy Governor, Franz Manderson, were both on hand to celebrate alongside the 130-plus volunteers.

Governor Kilpatrick welcomed the volunteers, thanked them for their hard work in the community and kicked off the evening with a special presentation for long-standing service to the Red Cross. Elaine Thomas and Danielle Coleman were recognised for their 20-plus years of service and Susan Ebanks and Carolina Ferreira for their 18-plus years of service to the Red Cross.

Mr. Manderson also expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and to the pivotal role they play both on a day-to-day basis and in times of local and national emergencies. He was also on hand to congratulate the recipients of the Gold Certificate Awards – those who have gone above and beyond in their contribution to the organisation.

A special presentation was made to 14-year-old Dreshna James, who devoted her entire summer to assisting the Cayman Islands Red Cross by providing administrative support to the organisation. Dreshna was a reliable and enthusiastic volunteer for the eight weeks that she volunteered her time.

The evening closed with the presentation of the Volunteer of the Year award, which was presented by the 2014 winner Olivia Raposo to Samantha White-Smith.