By I.C. Murrell From Port Arthur News

Not long ago, citizens of the Cayman Islands sensed a strong connection to Port Arthur.

“Port Arthur and Cayman Islands became sister cities in 1983,” Wanda Bodden said. The islands actually include towns of their own.

“A lot of the Caymanians came down and lived because of the shipping industry. Some of them had their families here and never left. It was a poor island at the time.”

Bodden, a Port Arthur minister, saw an opportunity to reach out to island officials to revitalize ties and reconnect through the avenue of sports, particularly by inviting the British Overseas Territory to send some of its basketball teams to Port Arthur for a spring break tournament next March.

Bodden traveled with her oldest son, Port Arthur Police Ofc. Ahmaal Bodden and oldest grandson Asaad “Remy” Bodden II to Grand Cayman, the largest of the three islands last weekend to meet to join representatives from Reach International, a service for at-risk youths based in the islands, in meeting with heads of Caymanian sports federations. Reach International named Wanda Bodden an advisor and overseas sports coordinator, Ahmaal Bodden overseas director and Asaad Bodden junior representative for the U.S.

The Boddens flew in July 22 and stopped by a basketball camp and interacted with people there. Three days later, Mrs. Bodden, the organizer of the Bringing Back the Glory basketball tournament at Lincoln Middle School, met with the heads of the islands’ sports.

The idea for just bringing basketball teams to Port Arthur soon blossomed into an idea of possibly welcoming baseball, boxing, soccer and track and field teams here for a week of sports. Plans for that are not yet finalized, but Wanda Bodden said she’s been in touch with other youth sports programs in the city.

“It turned into a week of sports,” said Bodden, who has been in touch with other youth sports programs in Port Arthur. “I thought it was just going to be two days. But God spoke to me and told me we can cross-pollinate. This is going into a beautiful flower. It’s been crazy.”

The second annual Bringing Back the Glory is scheduled for March 13-17, 2017.

Reach International’s Dr. Donna Rankine-Dandie scheduled a meeting with the islands’ government officials for this past Wednesday, the day after the Boddens were originally scheduled to leave. Mrs. Bodden said Cayman Islands community affairs, youth and sports Minister Osbourne Bodden, a third-cousin of hers, invited her family to keep him informed of any plans.

The sides are hoping an event similar to the “Cayman Nights” that was held annually at the Bob Bowers Civic Center could be re-established.

“The Caymanians would come and throw a big festival at the Civic Center, and we would connect and establish stronger ties,” Wanda Bodden said. “We want to revive that.”

IMAGE: Representatives from sports federations throughout the Cayman Islands wave American and Texas flags this past week. From left: Victor “Voot” O’Garro of the basketball association, Armando Ebanks of the football association, Leyla Jackson of the boxing federation, Dr. Donna Rankine-Dandie, founder of Reach International Cayman, Mark Woollard of the boxing federation, LaSanya Chamberlain, Celita Lavine and Ian Lavine of Reach International, Asaad Bodden II, Ahmaal Bodden and Wanda Bodden of Bringing Back the Glory tournament of Port Arthur. (Courtesy of Wanda Bodden)