CIBC FirstCaribbean announces its sponsorship of CARIFTA games

From March 29 to 31 2013, athletes from across the Caribbean will gather in Nassau, the Bahamas, for the 42nd annual Carifta Track and Field Championships.{{more}}The event takes place under the theme “A Celebration of Caribbean Unity” and regional financial institution CIBC FirstCaribbean has announced its involvement as a sponsor of the event.

Managing Director for Customer Relationship Management and Strategy Trevor Torzsas noted that the event was tailor-made for CIBC FirstCaribbean’s involvement, as its footprint extends across seventeen countries in the region. Torzsas noted that the sponsorship is in keeping with the bank’s involvement in projects that promote the development of the region’s young people, through its charitable Community Trust Foundation, of which he is a trustee. He added: “CIBC FirstCaribbean has recognized that an investment in our region’s young people is an investment in our future development, so we have concentrated much of our resources on projects that have a direct benefit for young people – in the areas of education, entrepreneurship and sport.”

CIBC FirstCaribbean’s contribution to the Carifta Games is through its community involvement programme, and Torzsas said that the bank also donates to several sporting activities, especially in support of the youth of the regions. He said: “CIBC FirstCaribbean’s message speaks to support for the overall development of our youth and encouragement of young people in positive activities, including sports.” He added: “We look forward to the high level of sportsmanship this event has become known for. Our sponsorship of the 42nd Carifta Games signals our encouragement for friendly competition and support for activities that foster Caribbean unity.

“Of course, our community commitment extends far beyond sports into initiatives that help charitable causes and vulnerable groups in our societies. In fact, the same weekend of the Carifta Games, about 100 employees and their families from CIBC FirstCaribbean’s offices all over the Caribbean will be cruising to Nassau and will engage in a community project that involves cleaning up downtown areas and lunching with residents of two local projects – the Nazareth Centre, a children’s home, and the Children’s Emergency Hostel.”

The Swimming Championships for the Games this year will be held in Jamaica. On a recent visit to Jamaica, Torzsas met with Dr Warren Blake, President of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, who noted: “We’re very proud of the achievements of Jamaica’s athletes locally and internationally and we’re working to give them the best possible foundation, so that at the end of the day we have athletic stars at all levels.

A major focus now is our training coaches, so that we have more coaches in schools across the island, to properly prepare athletes at the junior and professional levels”.

Mr Torzsas also noted that CIBC FirstCaribbean is considering a number of opportunities for sponsorship of Carifta teams around the region, through its businesses across the Caribbean.

The 2013 CARIFTA Games are scheduled to be held in the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, between March 28 and 31st, 2013. These games will mark the seventh time that the event was held in The Bahamas, the other years being 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1992 and 2002.