Local Unsung Hero to be honoured at special meet

St Vincent and the Grenadines 2011 Unsung Hero and Regional Awardee Cleopatra Jackson will be recognised at a special ceremony next week.{{more}}

Jackson, a community activist, was announced as this country’s 2011 CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank’s Unsung Hero last October. As the local hero, Jackson was nominated for the Regional Unsung Hero award, where she also placed in the top three.

Cornellie Schoonhoven-Muntslag of Curacao topped the list of 24 regional finalists after a panel of judges met to make the final selections. This is the first year that Curacao has produced the region’s top Unsung Hero. In addition to Cleopatra Jackson of St Vincent; also receiving recognition at the regional level was Sylvaneta Brooks from Antigua and Barbuda.

As local finalists, the three have already received award donations of US$6,000 each towards the development of their benevolent work. Schoonhoven-Muntslag will receive a further US $7,500, while the two remaining awardees will receive an additional $US5,000 each.

This year, the regional unsung heroes ceremonies are being held in the home territories of the regional awardees and will simultaneously mark the launch of the 2012 Unsung Heroes programme. Cleopatra Jackson will receive her prize and award at a special Ceremony and Dinner at Sunset Shores Beach Hotel on Tuesday, April 17, 2012. In addition to her prize, she will also receive an all-inclusive get away for two at Buccament Bay Resorts, along with other tokens.

In offering special congratulations to the awardees, CEO of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Rik Parkhill made special mention of Schoonhoven-Muntslag, Jackson, and Brooks for possessing that rare combination of personal sacrifice, determination and consistency to make a significant and lasting impact in their communities.

“CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Unsung Heroes programme is a credit to the enduring spirit of benevolence in Caribbean people. We were humbled and impressed by the quality and level of sacrifice illustrated in the submissions both at the local and regional levels for this programme,” Parkhill said.

Parkhill also expressed appreciation to the panel of regional judges for their continued commitment to the programme in seeking out those persons from far flung parts of the Caribbean who play their part, quietly contributing and benefiting those who may be less fortunate.

The Unsung Heroes regional programme is CIBC FirstCaribbean’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative. Launched in 2003, the bank has contributed over US $4 million in funding to the programme, which continues to be of great assistance to unsung heroes.