DANGEROUS DANCING TO RAISE MONEY IN GRAND BAHAMA

Rico Thompson hands stands on the moving vehicle with police leading the way [Photos Courtesy of Nicole LeBlanc]

On Saturday Rico Thompson break danced and back flipped on a flatbed truck, as it drove from Queen’s Highway to Port Lucaya, to raise money to partake in the global education program, Up With People

Astonished onlookers, tourists and locals alike, heard the music and saw the young Bahamian entertainer and hip hop teacher, as he did head spins and hand stands on the moving vehicle. Stunts which are difficult enough on the ground became even more terrifying as he entertained people in his own inimitable style.

The Truck Dance Team (Top, L – R) Rory Dack, Deltin Sejour, Maliyah Williams, Tallulah Dack, Rico Thompson the Truck Dancer, Giovanni Carey, Luckner Timothee Bottom, L – R) Lian LeBlanc, Sama Raymond of Meacal Electronics, Peter Williams of Freeport Ship Services, Police Officers Hall, Johnson and Stubbs, Alex Romanenko, Mike Dack, Rouen Robinson and Jackie Dack

Rico was recently awarded the highest level of scholarship granted by the Up With People programme, however, in order to complete his year, he needed to raise a further $8,250. Since learning of his acceptance, he has relentlessly contacted everyone he can think of in the local community to ask for sponsorship and achieved much success. “I wanted to do something more, using my skills to put a smile on people’s faces whilst asking them to sponsor me and that’s why I decided to do something energetic, unusual and fun. There was a lot of ways to fall off the truck.” said Thompson.

“I love making people happy and seeing the people’s reactions was amazing. At first they didn’t know what was happening, but as cars passed by and saw me dancing they smiled and threw money into the collection buckets. Shoppers made donations and started dancing with me which was great. The atmosphere was crazy fun and I gratefully received just over $800. I now have the last $2,050 to find and anyone who would like to sponsor me can call 374-2879 to find out how.”

Astonished and happy onlookers sponsor Rico in the Downtown area

Thompson remains extremely grateful throughout his fundraising quest. He says, “People’s generosity and belief in me has been wonderful. I have so many people to thank for helping me with the Truck Dance, namely; Tropical Shipping, Freeport Ship Services, Meacal Electronics and Freeport Advertising, Peter Williams, the Royal Bahamas Police Force who helped keep the event safe and ensured the public were not inconvenienced and last but not least, my incredible friends who helped collect the money and worked alongside me to make the event special. I see so many people who are fund raising and it makes me even more grateful to those who have chosen to support me. I sincerely thank the Paine Family, Freeport Players’ Guild, The Finglands, Sanitation Services, Freeport Oil Company, Ocean Motion, Lucaya Youth Theatre Society, The LeBlanc Family, Tiffany Dennison and those who have given anonymously.

“I am really lucky to have so many people in my life who genuinely want to see me succeed and I owe it to them to make the most of my year with Up With People. I want to gain as much as possible from it so that I can return to the Bahamas with more experience and skills, to be able to lead a productive and creative life here, helping my fellow Bahamians wherever and whenever I can. Whilst I want to travel the world, performing and being the best ambassador for the Bahamas that I can be, I also anticipate my return where I will be a year older and hopefully wiser and better able to serve the community and my people. I have an open agenda to collect as many good ideas so that I can come back here with something substantial to offer back to the country.”

Those who wish to support this young man in his quest to travel, impact and perform whilst promoting and educating other nations about our country can call 374-2879 or email edricothompson@gmail.com.

Thompson receives one year 'Up With People' scholarship

 By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport, Grand Bahama- Nineteen-year-old Grand Ba-hama resident Edrico Thompson has been awarded a scholarship to join the cast of Up With People for the next year, allowing him the chance to travel the world, performing and participating in community service projects.

Up with People is a non-profit organization, headquartered in Colorado, the United States, which provides young people between the ages of 18-29 with an international and intercultural experience that teaches service leadership and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill throughout the world.

The 100-person cast of Up with People visited Grand Bahama in February, performing at the Jack Hayward High School gymnasium, and conducting volunteer work around the island.

The organization's CEO, Alain Thiry, was in Grand Bahama two weeks ago and disclosed that a scholarship would be available for Bahamians to participate in the program.

Thompson, a former student of the Jack Hayward High School, told The Freeport News how he became the lucky recipient of that award, explaining that he was performing with the "Dis We Ting" cultural show at the Freeport Harbour and was introduced to Up with People Marketing and Promotion Coordinator Brandon Serna.

"He talked to me and he got me involved in the program by asking me to become a host family to one of the kids that was coming over. So after talking with him and doing the show, I signed up for the program," he said.

"I went online and filled out an application and was interviewed... From there, I got accepted and did an audition online as well as an essay about why I should be accepted."

The rest, as they say, is history, and Thompson was awarded the highest scholarship possible for the organization to award, valued at $13,750, a large part of the total cost for the year-long program, which is $19,800.

"I'm extremely excited," Thompson said about the upcoming tour, for which he will leave on July 9.

To achieve his goal, however, he will need an additional amount of approximately $8,250. He said he has appealed to several corporate citizens for assistance, and is hopeful that he can raise the required funds. He has set up a FACEBOOK page to help spread the word.

Thompson has been performing for as long as he remembers, and is currently the headline entertainment act at the Treasure Bay Casino at the Our Lucaya Resort.

He is also a hip hop dance instructor at the Lois Seiler Academy of Dance and the YMCA, and is a former member of the Starlighters singing group.

"I've been a part of the Freeport Players Guild and the Regency Theatre for almost six years now. I've done a number of shows, backstage work, sound, spotlight, cleaned the theatre," he said.

"I tried to get involved with as much performing arts as possible because the more I can be on-stage, the better."

Thompson said other than the performing aspect, however, he is looking forward to making a difference in the lives of the people he encounters in his travels with the group. He got a taste of the gratification that can come from helping others he said, when he joined Up with People cast members to do volunteer work with the Harvest Foundation in Lewis Yard.

"We rebuilt houses from scratch. There were houses that were literally sitting on four concrete blocks with a piece of wood as the floor and cardboard boxes making up the walls. We rebuilt roofs, we rebuilt rooms, we made beds, we carried some air mattresses in, we did some cleaning around the houses there was rubbish that needed to be carried out," Thompson said.

He was moved by the experience and appreciated the chance to make an impact, he added.

"It was a really cool experience. That has definitely inspired me to go with up with people because I always want to perform but to be able to perform and travel at the same time, and also make an impact wherever I go through volunteer work. That's what's making me so excited to be a part of the program. I think it's going to be absolutely amazing."

He said he is also looking forward to educating others about The Bahamas. Overall, he said, the experience will be an invaluable one and "a dream come true."

"I can do what I am good at whilst learning new skills and gaining a better understanding of the world. I want to bring back ideas and contacts that can make a positive difference to our island," he said.
 To sponsor rico in any way please visit his page here

Cast A - Up With People 2011, in Grand Bahama Island

Up with People's Cast A 2011 visited the Grand Bahama Island for one week this semester and had the opportunity to stay with local families to learn about the island history and strong culture, also take part in volunteering all over the island helping organizations that are already doing great things, and finishing their visit with their spectacular show "A Song for the World" which the funds benefited the Grand Bahamas Youth Choir to send one or more of their students to travel a semester with Up with People around the word! Thanks for the amazing time Grand Bahama!

Host an 'Up With People' cast member during their stay in Grand Bahama

By The Bahamas Weekly News Team 

Freeport, Bahamas - Families in Grand Bahama will have the unique opportunity to bring a bit of the world into their own homes between February 19th – 25th when an international cast of Up with People arrives in Freeport, a stop on their 2011 world tour.

Host families are being sought to keep one or more students from Cast A 2011, the 100-member Up with People cast which represents 20 countries and more than 25 states. “It is a great opportunity to experience other cultures while sharing your own,” explained Reed, a Promotion Representative for the group.
The opportunity to stay with local families during their stay in each community is a centerpiece of Up with People’s 22-week program. The giving goes both ways…while families share their traditions and local attractions; the cast members share their experiences and cultures.

Local host families are asked to provide a place to sleep, local transportation, as well as breakfast and most dinners. While gone during the day, participating in regional learning, community service and show preparation, most evenings cast members will be home with the family to participate in their activities and interests.

In addition to many wonderful experiences with their new “son” or “daughter,” each host family will receive two complimentary tickets to the Up with People Show which will be held at a to be decided location on Thursday, February 24^that 7p.m. at the Jack Hayward Gymnasium. Tickets are $10 for Adults and $5 for Children (12 and under) and are available at Pelican Bay Hotel. 

Host an Up with People Cast Member 

“I can honestly say that the dozens of families who have opened their homes to me during my time with Up with People is one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences I have had,” said Reed. I still stay in contact with many of them and I believe they will remain lifelong friends,” she added. 

Those with smaller children or young teens in their home often find that the Up with People cast members are wonderful role models and provide a glimpse into other countries, cultures and traditions they might not otherwise experience in the Bahamas, Reed added.

Local families on the island are being sought to host the cast members between the 19^th and 25^th of February. Those interested in hosting are encouraged to contact Shawna Reed on the Grand Bahama Advance Team atsreed@upwithpeople.org or bserna@upwithpeople.org OR by calling 242.533.6857 or 439-6451

Up with People’s visit to Grand Bahama is sponsored by the Pelican Bay Hotel with support from our beneficiary, the Grand Bahama Youth Choir and with support by The Bahamas Weekly.   

Up with People is an independent nonprofit, [501(c)(3)] organization without any religious or political affiliations.  It provides young adults an international and intercultural experience that teaches service leadership and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill throughout the world.  Up with People exists today to spark people to action in meeting the needs of their communities, countries and the world while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace. For more information visit www.upwithpeople.org .

Up with People program coming to Grand Bahama

By K Nancoo-Russell
The Freeport News - Host families are being sought to house some 70 members of the Up with People Program who are expected to visit the island in the next three weeks.

Up with People is a non-profit organization that provides young people between the ages of 18-29 with an international and intercultural experience that teaches service leadership and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill throughout the world.

The full cast that will be visiting Grand Bahama from February19-25 is made up of nearly 100 persons from 20 countries and more than 25 U.S. states, but promotion coordinators Shawna Reed and Brandon Serna have been on-island for the past three weeks and were able to secure host families for some of them already.

Serna explained that the group's visit to Grand Bahama was initiated when the general manager at the Pelican Bay Resort Magnus Alnebeck saw the group perform and became interested in finding out how the group could visit the island.

After some communication, Grand Bahama was added to the tour. The visit is sponsored by the Pelican Bay Hotel with support from the Grand Bahama Youth Choir and The Bahamas Weekly.

During their week-long stay, the cast members will do volunteer work with several organizations on the island, and their visit will culminate with their performance on Thursday, February 24 at the Jack Hayward Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

"It's international song and dance, it's about two hours long, it's really high energy, with lots of lights and colours.

"It showcases our cultures, but also has that undertone of peace and understanding and civic engagement and really is a call to action, asking the audience to use their talents and gifts, whatever they may be, towards the betterment of their communities," explained Reed.

"It's a fun show, we've got some hip hop, we've got some R & B, we've also got some Japanese songs, Chinese songs, and in the end we see that music is the universal language, that no matter where we come from, we all feel it. You're going to see a song in Japanese or from Africa and you're going to be like, 'I don't know what they're saying, but I like it,' and so that's what brings us together in a sense," says Serna.

Proceeds from the show will go toward the Grand Bahama Youth Choir.

"We're hoping to send two students from the Bahamas to travel with our group in July to represent their country, and be ambassadors and travel the world with us and perform with us so we're pretty excited about that," he said.

Host families are asked to provide breakfasts, most dinners, local transportation and a place to sleep for their guest.

"That doesn't mean a nice bed, it could be a hammock or a sleeping bag or a couch," says Serna, who counts among his experiences sleeping in a barn in Thailand.

"That is all part of the one of a kind experience," he notes.

Although the cast members will be gone during the day participating in community service and show preparation, most evenings they will be home with the family to participate in their activities and interests.

"Even though it's just five days, it's really amazing how you develop a strong relationship with them (hosts)."

Reed said the interaction with the families help cast members to learn about the country and develop long lasting contacts, and benefits the host families as well since they are exposed to their guests' cultures.

"It's such a cool opportunity to share your culture as a Bahamian.

"For many of the cast members, this is their first time to the island, so what they take back from the island is going to be how it's presented to them."

Host families receive two free tickets to the show.

Persons interested in hosting a member of the Up with People Program can contact Reed at sreed@upwithpeople.org or by calling 533-6857.