2002 Archived Articles

May 9, 2002 | Nation encourages kids

More than two dozen young people who attended a Tropicana camp for kids were encouraged to "dream big dreams" and to be leaders and not followers.

"Anything and everything is possible," CFTO television reporter Karlene Nation told the children at the start of the 2002 March Break Camp organized by Tropicana Community Services.

Nation, who was born in Jamaica, used her own life experiences as an example of following dreams and overcoming obstacles.

After graduating from the University of Toronto with a political science degree and working a few years, Nation decided she wanted to be a journalist. At 28, she enrolled in the journalism program at Ryerson University.

"It's never too late to learn something new," she said.

Although the search for a journalism job was long and hard, Nation's persistence paid off when she found employment at the Globe & Mail, CBC, CTV and CFTO.

However, she was to face her biggest challenge when she had to undergo emergency surgery after a tumor was discovered at the base of her brain. The surgery was successful but Nation has lost her peripheral vision.

Nation says she is happy and praises doctors who treated her.

"If you want to be a doctor, it's the best thing in the world," she said. "You save lives. But you must study hard, do your school work and don't be afraid to ask questions and to speak up."

Camper Jessica White, 8, and Tropicana board member Sam Donkoh thanked Nation and made a presentation to her as a token of appreciation.

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May 9, 2002 | Royal Bank makes a donation

A donation of $3,000 from Royal Bank of Canada to Tropicana Community Services was one of the highlights of the agency's 9th annual Caribbean Night Gala Dinner and Dance held on May 4.

The donation, in support of Tropicana's Tree of Life campaign, was presented to the agency's president Christine Williams by Tracie Lee-Wah, account manager at Royal Bank.

At the Gala, Tropicana also presented awards to Royal Bank and other major Tree of Life donors. The program also featured entertainers Leejahn, Jennifer T., Jermaine Morrison, Dick Lochan, King Cosmos, Club Carib of Oshawa, and Earl La Pierre, Jr. The keynote speaker was educator and community worker Akwatu Khenti, who outlined several areas in which Tropicana can continue to play a role to enhance the lives of youth and others in the community.

The door-prize - airline tickets to the Caribbean sponsored by BWIA West Indies Airways - was won by Rob Ogilvie of Caledon.

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January 8, 2002 | 2002 Caribbean Night Gala

Tropicana Community Services is preparing for one of its major annual fundraising events. The 2002 Caribbean Night Gala is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at the Rembrandt Banquet Hall, 930 Progress Avenue, Scarborough.

The glitzy event, which started nine years ago, offers patrons the opportunity to support a worthy cause, while enjoying an exciting evening of fun and entertainment. Over the years, the Gala has attracted many well-known business and political leaders, including Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman, former Ontario cabinet minister Zanana Akande, and Liberal MPP Alvin Curling. Television broadcaster Andrea Case, Olympic gymnast Curtis Hibbert, businessman and head of FLOW 93.5 FM Denham Jolly, and lawyer Leonard Braithwaite - the first Black person to be elected to the legislature in Ontario - have also attended the event.

For this year's Caribbean Night Gala, the spotlight will be on Trinidad and Tobago, with the evening featuring that nation's culture such as steelband and calypso. Tickets for the event are being sold at $60 each. Tropicana is also soliciting donations for the Silent Auction and Balloon Raffle that form part of the Gala. A charitable receipt is available, upon request, for all donations over $10, provided that a letter or statement verifying the value of such gift accompanies a gift-in-kind donation. All donors and sponsors will receive special recognition through announcements at the Gala.

All money raised at the Gala is well utilized by Tropicana with a view to assisting more youth and families in Toronto. For example, from Caribbean Night 2001, we were able to use part of the proceeds to assist a Ryerson student to complete his university degree.

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January 8, 2002 | Another successful Christmas Food Drive

Tropicana Community Services held another successful Christmas Food Drive in 2001, thanks to the support of many individuals, businesses, schools and organizations.

The drive started 15 years ago and has been expanding ever since, with more and more families seeking food aid from the agency each Christmas. The demand for assistance has been accompanied by increasing support in cash and in-kind from the community.

For each of the past two Christmases, the drive received a cash donation of $1,000 from a group of Trinidadian-Canadians who are members of the Tranquility Alumni Association.

Tropicana, on behalf of all our clients and the food recipients, would like to thank Tranquility and all the other donors. We also are indebted to those who sponsored families, as well as to the volunteers who assisted in making the drive a success.

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