Newsday at 25: Reaching out to communities

Turning 25 is a milestone for anyone or anything. In the life of any organisation it is a major achievement. As Newsday turns 25, it is doing so in fine style and partnering with community organisations.

The first of these was its sponsorship of the prize for the best-dressed male and female dancers at the annual Toco Old Boys' and Girls' Grand Ball on July 28.

The ball was held at Toco Composite Secondary School, Toco.

Many of those who attended danced the night away from 9 pm, even doing the popular electric slide during the evening. The grand ball ended at 9 am on Sunday. Best-dressed male Derrick Hamilton and best-dressed female Vena Roberts won the Newsday-sponsored hampers.

Simone Walters-Rocke, Newsday’s project officer/marketing, explained, “This year is Newsday’s 25th anniversary. One of the things we are doing for the 25th anniversary is sponsoring events within communities.”

Walters-Rocke said the media organisation reached out to the association in June “to find out which events were available for us to partner with them on.”

She added that it was important for Newsday to reach out to communities for its 25th anniversary because it started out being called the people’s paper. “We do realise we need a greater outreach within the communities, with Toco being the very first one,” she said.

Newsday has plans to expand this initiative and is looking for events within all areas – east, west, north, south and Tobago – that “we can partner with and assist these communities in achieving their goals.”

Walters-Rocke said groups can contact her at Newsday at 607-4929
for determination as to which events the paper may be able to sponsor.

Terry Rondon, the association’s president and chairman of the Toco/Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, was happy for Newsday’s sponsorship.

He said, “This is the first time we have someone coming from the outside to present those sorts of hampers for people who attend our function.”

Rondon added that he was happy a “corporate citizen came out to assist us to make our fete this year the biggest and the best in terms of giving out hampers.” He estimated there were over 2,000 people at this year’s ball as all 2,000 printed wristbands were sold and the association had to issue tickets to those without bands.

This ball has been staged for over 45 years.