Organized by the Rotary Club of Belmopan and the George Price Centre, 70 youths participated in the 2nd Annual Belmopan Community Service Challenge on May 27, 2006 and it was an overwhelming success.

The 2nd Annual Belmopan Community Service Challenge was held on Saturday, May 27, 2006, organized by the Rotary Club of Belmopan and the George Price Centre for Peace and Development. The Challenge was an overwhelming success as over 70 youths demonstrated strength and character by working diligently in a united effort for seven worthy causes.

The team of Our Lady of Guadalupe Primary School assisted the Belmopan City Council by picking litter in public areas. Despite the relentless sun, the youngsters did not quit till Belmopan was again worth of the name “Garden City”.

Team number 1 of the BADCATS with the Belmopan Comprehensive School erected a sign for the Belmopan Cancer Society at the future location of their Resource Centre and Hospice. They cleared the area, hammered the sign together, dug holes and mixed cement. No easy task in the beating sun!

Marla’s House of Hope benefited from the hard work from the Garden City Roses of the Garden City Primary School. With only a few collection cans, some sponsor sheets and a great deal of positive spirit, they managed to collect over 500 dollars for the Home!

The corridors and all the windows of the Western Regional Hospital were shining after the United Citizens of the United Evergreen Primary School were through with them. They left the hospital sparkling!

Although in need of assistance themselves, Marla’s Angels of Marla’s House of Hope decided that they too could help out someone else. They collected over 500 dollars worth of food items for the Belmopan Red Cross’ feeding programme and emergency supplies for the needy.

The High Risers of Our Lady of Guadalupe High School received the difficult task of preparing the Thrift Shop of the Belmopan Red Cross to be painted. Scrapers and steel brushes were put into action to scrape off all the old paint of that building. When the team finished with this job well in time, they even assisted the team at the hospital in finishing their cleaning job!

Last but certainly not least, the BADCATS with the Belmopan Comprehensive School Team 2 organized a fundraiser for King’s Children’s Home and raised over 600 dollars by spurring Belmopan Residents to give to this worthy cause.

The biggest challenge turned out to be picking a winner from these groups… a task near to impossible given the tremendous efforts made by all. In the end however, both the United Citizens and Marla’s Angels were declared winners of the Challenge 2006.

The Rotary Club of Belmopan and the George Price Centre for Peace and Development wishes to thank all those who assisted making this event a success: the young people, their leaders and institutions, the participating organizations, the Belmopan Citizens who were so supportive of the initiative, Unique Co. Ltd. and Crystal Distribution Company for their sponsorship.

The youth of Belmopan showed us the joys of extending a helping hand to those in need. Will you be up to the challenge next year???