Sea Grape playground to be completed by Friday

By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

Volunteers from the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation, Kids Around the World (KATW), local insurance companies and the community of Sea grape this week are hard at work constructing the playground at the Sea grape Community Park in Eight Mile Rock.

Sally Munsford, a current trustee of the MDRT Foundation, shared her excitement at the success of the project so far.

"It's just terrific. It's a wonderful international effort. We have people here from all over the world and we all are just really into this project because it's really great for the kids in this area," she said. "I'm most excited about seeing the dedication on Friday and seeing the kids play here. Also it's great that we've made a lot of friends here, both in the community and in the (MDRT) group."

The 12,000 square foot, state-of-the-art playground is expected to be finished on Friday at a cost of $75,000.

The site was chosen after the community of Sea grape was damaged by Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Hurricanes Wilma and Jeanne in 2005.

The project is being funded by a $100,000 grant from the MDRT Foundation to Kids Around the World (KATW), an Illinois-based organization whose mission is to build safe playgrounds for children in areas where there are none.

Anthony Longley, an insurance agent at Colina Imperial Insurance Company in New Providence and a 17-year member of MDR, is the local coordinator for the project.

Longely said he nominated The Bahamas as a recipient for the playground based on the need that was present in the Western area of Grand Bahama after the hurricanes.

"A year ago, the MDRT Foundation sent out a circular to its worldwide membership indicating that they had designated a playground for a country in the Caribbean," Longley said. "I responded to that and sent in a report on the damages that the hurricane had done here in Grand Bahama, in particular the western end of Grand Bahama. They came back to me a few months later and indicated that the report that I sent in had won the grant for the playground."

Longley commended the community of Seagrape and the local insurance companies for their assistance with the project.

"The support from the community has been fabulous. It's truly a community effort," he said.

On Friday, a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Prime Minister Perry Christie and Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe are both scheduled to speak at the opening.

There will be a performance by the Eight Mile Rock High School Marching Band and by the Martin's Town Primary School Junkanoo Group.

The MDRT is an international, independent association of more than 35,000, or the less than one percent of the world's best life insurance and financial services professionals.

The MDRT Foundation was created in 1959 to provide MDRT members with a means to give back to their communities.

The organization has more than 65 members living and working in The Bahamas and seven of those members are in Freeport.

HARD AT WORK — Members of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) foundation are seen hard at work constructing a brand-new playground in the Sea Grape community in Eight Mile Rock. Taking a break to talk to the media from left to right are John Marshall Lee, past president (MDRT); Sally Munsford, trustee (MDRT); and Anthony Longley of Colina Imperial. (Photo by JENNEVA RUSSELL)