Three win chance for great carnival experience

Three giveaway winners are ready to experience Carnival Tuesday with two local mas bands.

The SEARCHLIGHT newspaper partnered with Nelson Bloc and Tribes mas bands to give away costumes to followers on Instagram, who were interested in being a part of the Mardi Gras festivities.

The Nelson Bloc giveaway, which saw two persons receiving costumes, began on June 25 and ended on June 30.

Rayshawn Shallow (left), receives his voucher from Teshorne Caine, Administrative Manager at SEARCHLIGHT to play mas with Tribes

Ashani McNeil -Velox, one of the winners of the giveaway for a Nelson Bloc costume, said she decided to enter the competition for fun.

“I didn’t really do this to say win. I just saw it and said I know this so I can comment so I just decided to try,” she told SEARCHLIGHT this week.

McNeil-Velox has played with Nelson Bloc several times before and is happy to have won her costume in this year’s presentation “Fete Fo So”.

Although she has never played carnival with Nelson Bloc, Cassandra Baynes-Lewis, the other winner of the costume said she is excited.

She told SEARCHLIGHT she has never won anything before and so it was a nice surprise.

Participants in the competition were required to follow Nelson Bloc and SEARCHLIGHT on Instagram, like the post and comment what they liked most about Vincy mas.

In her entry, Baynes-Lewis said “My favourite thing is that Vincy Mas reunites us with most of our friends and family #vincymas2019 #fetefoso #nelsonbloc”.

The Tribes costume giveaway began on June 28 and ended on July 3. Participants were required to follow both Tribes and SEARCHLIGHT on Instagram, like the post and use hashtags #endangered and #tribes.

Ashani McNeil-Veloxx (left), receiving her voucher for Nelson Bloc costume from La Tanya Grant (right), marking and sales assistant of SEARCHLIGHT

This time around, the competition was won by Rayshawn Shallow. Much like the other giveaway winners, Shallow is thankful to have won.

“It’s a good feeling. I’ve never played costume mas before, this will be my first time,” he said.

He will play in one of Tribe’s eight sections this year under their presentation “Endangered”.