2009 Florida Reunion Report

2009 Florida Reunion Report

Meet & Greet Pictures
Picnic Pictures
Dance Pictures

2009

South Florida NICE,
So Harbour View Reunion had to be held there TWICE!

Friends, families, love ones, young and old who came from near and as far as Montreal, Canada rekindled friendships showing love, harmony and togetherness during the fun-filled weekend on July 17^th & 18^th 2009 in South Florida. Since the inception of celebrating the Harbour View community reunions at-large, this year’s 2009 reunion has been by far the most electrifying celebration! To recap, successful reunion events were held in 2003 in Connecticut; 2004 in South Florida; 2005 in New York; 2007 in Atlanta and 2009 in South Florida – NICE, so we did it -- TWICE!

In celebration of our 5^th Harbour View 2009 Reunion, the weekend was energized with people who lived and grew up in Harbour View (Jamaica) by birth, adoption, marriage, relatives and/or friendships! Our “Meet & Greet” event held at the West Broward Hall, Pembroke Pines, Florida buzzed off to a great start with vibrant sounds of laughter, chats, happy screams, deep conversations of friends remembering good times, circle of spiritual togetherness led by Ludlow “City” Price (President of the Advisory Board) and lots of hugs reminiscent of the good old days. The camaraderie continued after midnight with friends and families lingering outside the venue salivating for more bonding.

Next day, Saturday, July 18^th, the picnic at the lovely Miramar Regional Park Corporate Pavilion, Miramar, Florida was exciting and continued the expression of togetherness. The happy atmosphere rang out with vibrant sounds by DJ Yo-Yo and C-Roy the Entertainer. There was dancing, karaoke, games, laughter, good food and drinks to delight everyone’s appetite! To “top it off,” community leaders were honored for their contributions and dedication to the welfare of the Harbour View community over the years. Specifically, the Tower Award to Mrs. Beryl Urquhart; The Posthumous Award to Mr. Sydney Masters; The Harbour View Football Club Award to Mr. Sydney McFarlane; and, The Special 2009 Recognition Award to Mr. Barrington (Cobra) Gaynor (who was unable to attend), was received by his sister who read a touching thank you letter from Cobra. Mrs. Crooks, Educator was honored with a basket of goodies from Grace Foods (Sponsor) presented by Bridget Smith-Newman. In her reply, Mrs. Crooks who taught at Harbour View Primary School in the ‘60s & ‘70s tearfully remembered all the good times, the educational impact she had on many of the guests in attendance and thanked all for recognizing the positive influence in their lives. Mr. Michael “Fateye” Thompson was recognized for his vision and dedication in starting and maintaining the Harbour View connection through the upkeep of the www.hviewtower.com website.

The weekend reached its’ climax with “A Night In The Tropics” party held at the Grand Ballroom, Sunrise, Florida to the powerful sounds by DJ Migraine who kept everyone “jamming and grooving” until the wee hours of the morning! “Nuff love and respect” was shown to musical icon, Shelly Thunder. Shelly Thunder who also grew up in Harbour View rang out to the crowd by taking the microphone and belted out her popular song, “Kuff – Sometimes a man fi get kuff, fi get kuff, fi get fi kuff!” This had the crowd rocking with excitement echoing the popular sounds and responding! The night/morning (actually 4:00a.m.) finally ended with many accolades, more hugs and happy expressions reinforcing the dedication and love we all have for our solid Harbour View community!

Thanks to the South Florida Harbour View 2009 Core Committee for all the hard work and dedication that resulted in the success of the 2009 Harbour View Friends and Family Reunion. Namely, SFHV 2009 Core Committee Members: Paul (Goosey) Bennett, Michelle Cyrus-Brown, Claudette Depass - Grant, Bridget Smith-Newman, Carol Alder-Harris & Siana Stewart. Also, special recognition to the following teams:

Registration Team: Bridget Smith-Newman (Lead), Carrol Simpson-White, Sonia Campbell-Douglas, Shelly Martin-Phipps, Knolly Derby & Judith Barnett-Roberts

Decoration Team: Claudette DePass-Grant (Lead), Everlin Irons-Priestley, Marlene Talbot & Joy Boothe. Entertainment Team: Siana Stewart-Watson (Lead), Carmen Stewart, Jackie Small & Saran Stewart. Event Operations: Paul (Goosey) Bennett (Lead). Food & Beverage Team: Michelle Cyrus-Brown (Lead), Colin Betty, Dale Ramsey & Caterers. Financial Team & Advisory Board Liaison: Carol Alder-Harris (Lead) & Carol Masters-Allison. Advisory Board Team: Michael (Fateye) Thompson, Karen Roberts-Thompson, Ludlow (City) Price, Barbara Forrester, Kayren Campbell, Clyde Jureidini, Grace Campbell, Heather Thelwell-MCDonnough & Leesa Mitchell.

A special thanks to the many volunteers who willingly contributed to the success of the 2009 HV Reunion in South Florida. Thanks to the sponsors: Jamaica National Money Transfer, Grace Foods and Western Union. Most importantly, thanks to all the guests for supporting the 2009 South Florida Harbour View Reunion Event! Undoubtedly, this year’s reunion was successful because of your support. Continue to keep the torch lit for the pride we feel growing up in one of the best communities in Jamaica.

Details on the celebrations for Harbour View’s 50^th year Community Anniversary in 2010 will be posted on the Harbour View website: www.hviewtower.com in the near future.

Peace, Harmony, One LOVE and Togetherness!

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