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Shaggy and Friends Charity Doing Great Things
Other | Friday 25th November 2011 | Osh
After taking a one-year break, the charity show, 'Shaggy and Friends' has returned.
Set to take place on Friday, December 30, at JamaicaHouse, Shaggy said failure was not an option as they seek to raise funds to provide much-needed resources for the Bustamante Hospital for Children.
"Failure is not an option, and I am grateful for the sponsors who put their money where their heart is ... the brand is 100 per cent transparent and that is why credible entities like Scotiabank will give as much as $5 million to the cause ... the work is a lot, however, it is worth it," Shaggy said at a recent launch of this year's staging.
And with the stellar line-up of performers, Shaggy said the show would be exciting with a slew of international artistes set to grace the stage this year. Among them, the soulful and poetic Lauryn Hill, R&B star Ne-Yo, Trinidadian soca artiste Bunji Garlin, and Stephen Marley among a contingent of local acts.
Worthy cause
Reggae stalwart Half Pint will also perform and, according to Shaggy, the artiste hasn't performed in Jamaica for a while and he is personally anticipating a good showing from the veteran.
This year, the Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation has partnered with major corporate companies to facilitate the worthy cause.
Dr Innis, consultant anaesthetist and head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, cites the tremendous shortage in a critical mass of staffing and medical equipment at the hospital as one of the major challenges the facility continues to face.
And as such, 'Shaggy and Friends' have made another important step in contributing to nation building. Corporate entities like Digicel and Lime are on-board this year as part of the effort.
At the recent launch, LIME presented a cheque valued at $7.7 million dollars, and according to head of marketing Stephen Price, the collaboration is not about branding, but a duty.
"The children are our future and it is our responsibility as corporate companies to assist with nation building. It's not about branding, it's about the greater cause, which is to contribute to a worthy cause," he said.
Digicel did not state the value of their pledge, however, Thanida Nunes, representing the sponsorship committee, said that being a member of the project since its inception was phenomenal.
"We look forward to being a part of this positive movement every year ... the line-up is good and the growth that has been associated with the event is phenomenal ... . I would encourage other corporate companies to contribute, no matter how small. If it's even to buy a ticket, it will make a difference," she said.
To date, the Shaggy and Friends Make A Difference Foundation has raised a total of $57,000,000 (US$650,000). And Shaggy encourages corporate Jamaica to continue lending their support.
Tickets for this year's staging will be: Platinum $25,000, Gold $10,000 and Silver $5,000.
