MoBay Boys and Girls’ Club reels from Melissa’s blow

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Montego Bay Boys and Girls Club (MBB&GC), which has a rich history of positively impacting the lives of young people in St James over several decades, is still reeling after Hurricane Melissa devastated its River Bay Road home base last October, leaving millions of dollars in damage behind.

“The damage is massive,” said popular drummer Delroy ‘Cava’ Reid, who serves as a music teacher at the club. “The damage to the roof on the main building is estimated at $5 million and that is only a small part of the damage, which covers multiple buildings.”

When The Gleaner visited the club on Wednesday, amid the devastation, which included the destruction of the floodlights previously used to facilitate night netball and basketball games, activities had resumed in the basic school, the home economics centre and a multi-use workshop, which feature auto mechanic, motor vehicle body repair, woodwork and welding among other skills.

For Reid, the most painful hit is the damage to the main building, which served as a museum of sorts, showcasing photographs of the scores of outstanding alumni and awards won in sports, music and other areas over the decades.

“A significant part of the club’s history has either been damaged or destroyed. Our trophy cabinet is ruin. We have lost many cherished photographs and trophies, which we would have locally and internationally in sports and music,” said Reid, who joined the club as a child and has never left, albeit having stints on cruise ships as a musician.

MBB&GC, which started in 1942 as the Montego Bay Boys’ Club, with a mandate to create an environment to help young men realise their fullest potential in sports, entertainment, and skills training, among other activities, altered it name over recent years to reflect the input of the girls, who represented the club in netball, table tennis and other sports.

Over the years, the club, which has received several accolades, including the keys to the city of Montego Bay, for its immense contribution to nation-building, has been considered a safe space for young people because of the rigid discipline, which is a part of the fabric of the club.

The club’s impressive list of alumni reads like a ‘who’s who’ in Jamaica’s sports and entertainment with many representing Jamaica with distinction. Additionally, its renowned matching band has won numerous national and international awards and is an ever-present force at major events in Montego Bay.

Among the club’s most accomplished alumni are the likes of iconic West Indies cricket umpire Steve Bucknor; Jamaica’s 1998 World Cup hero Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore; Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis, the Caribbean Footballer of the Year in 1991; Warren Barrett, who captained Jamaica to the 1998 Word Cup; and the likes of topflight musicians such as A.J. Brown, the lead singer for the Third World Band; the band’s drummer Tony ‘Ruption’ Williams; singer extraordinaire Stamma Haughton, and all the members of the once popular STUDS Band.

“We have powerful legacy to protect and build on, that is why we are committed to rebuild the club and move on from the damage caused by Melissa,” Reid told The Gleaner. “Our past members are helping out, and we are planning events to help raise funds as well. We would also welcome help from those who has seen the value of boys club and the contribution we have made over these many years.”

Among the other sections of the club that experienced significant damage was the bathroom block, an outdoor concert area, and perhaps the most cherished area beside the historic trophy cabinet – the Ratimir Papa Pavlovic Music Hall, which often buzzed with the sounds of pianos and guitars as young musicians are taught the rudiments of music.

Despite the dire situation at present, Reid is confident that the club will return to its glory days.

“We have proven over the years to be an institution that has not only created opportunities for young people but has steered them away from crime and other anti-social activities, so people understand the importance of having an institution like MBB&GC,” he said.

The club will be staging a live band concert at its base on February 28 to raise funds. Other events are being planned to support the rebuilding effort.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com