Post by kaya on Oct 10, 2004 23:32:21 GMT -5
BIG UP TO SEAN PAUL!
Sean Paul becomes 'five-million dollar man'
Int'l DJ star gives to Ivan relief effort .
Michael A Edwards, Observer writer
Sean Paul donated a total of $5 million on Wednesday. The charities receiving money were Food for the Poor, the Missionaries of the Poor, The Sir John Golding Rehab Centre, the Mona Rehab Centre and the National Children's Home of Jamaica. (Photo: Michael Gordon)
Multi-platinum DJ Sean Paul Wednesday responded in a major way to the call for assistance in reconstruction after Hurricane Ivan, donating cheques totalling J$5 million to two educational institutions as well as to social agencies Food for the Poor, the Missionaries of the Poor, The Sir John Golding Rehab Centre, the Mona Rehab Centre and the National Children's Home of Jamaica. Each of the institutions had their physical plants as well as their operations severely affected due to damage from Ivan's passage.
The Missionaries of the Poor, Food for the Poor and the Munro and thingyenson Trust (which administers Munro College and Hampton School) each received $1 million, while Wolmers' Boys' School (which he briefly attended), The Sir John Golding Rehab Centre, the Mona Rehab Centre, and the National Children's Home each received $500,000.
The entertainer, clad in his customary T-shirt and jeans, read a brief statement, in which he reiterated his gratitude to the Jamaican people for the support he has received thus far in his career and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing, where possible, the plight of the needy.
"It's the love of the people that has carried me this far and now I've come full circle," he stated. "I know a lot of people were affected by Ivan and I'm pleased to be able to contribute towards rebuilding," Sean Paul said.
Representatives of the various organisations in turn expressed their gratitude for the donations, stating the magnitude of the damage suffered by Ivan necessitated strong contributions such as those being made by the award-winning star.
"It's that innate creativity and that divine urge to show compassion that has kept this country going, despite the persistent evil that surrounds us," noted Missionaries of the Poor co-founder Fr Richard Ho Lung. The priest, himself no stranger to the music and entertainment world, urged the deejay to continue to be a force for positive attributes as he represented Jamaica around the world.
Munro College, which lost its library, computers and other facilities to the powerful storm, similarly lauded the artiste for his generosity and pledged to immediately commit the funds to the repair of the 148 year-old secondary institution, the bill for which has been estimated at over $15 million.
Lady Golding, director of Monex Limited, which oversees the fund-raising and charitable side of the Sir John Golding Rehab Centre (named in honour of her late husband), said the repair project was similarly extensive at Golding Rehab, and congratulated Paul on the initiative.
The DJ told the media after the function that he was working on completing his third album and would continue on a hectic round of international performances and appearances through the end of the year. His latest recorded project is a contribution to the soundtrack of the hit animated film, Shark Tale.