Help me make St Thomas great - Popcaan pleads with fellow residents to stand up for parish

August 23, 2019
Persons come out in their numbers for the treat.
Persons come out in their numbers for the treat.
Children get a new look for the upcoming school year.
Children get a new look for the upcoming school year.
Event staff ensure they keep track of the children who received packages.
Event staff ensure they keep track of the children who received packages.
Popcaan
Popcaan
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P opular artiste Andrae 'Popcaan' Sutherland is encouraging the people of St Thomas to join his efforts to improve their parish.

Popcaan, whose activism for St Thomas was first realised in 2017 when he led a peaceful protest against bad roads, has since hosted a grand stage show inviting international acts to the area and two back-to-school treats.

Speaking at yesterday's second staging of the Popcaan Care Foundation Off-to-School treat at Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay, the Firm And Strong singer told THE WEEKEND STAR that he is doing his best to bring some attention to the parish.

"St Thomas has been a place nuff people forget about and mi try fi shed some light pon the parish as much as me can and the people dem a St Thomas need to join in with me," he said.

Popcaan revealed that his show, which brought out Canadian rapper Drake and local music bigwigs, was met with some level of internal obstruction to get to the venue.

"It nuh supposed to be nuh problem because it (the event) is bringing people to St Thomas and life to St Thomas," he said. "Those are the things that puzzle me. The people of St Thomas have to be willing fi help, otherwise nothing naw guh happen."

He pleaded with his St Thomas brethren to help, him get resorts in the parish.

"We want the big hotel dem over here suh too and dem ting deh. We can get it. We in the spot to get these things and we deh close to it, suh if me a try fi bring the world to St Thomas and if St Thomas don't want the world at their feet, then I can do it somewhere else ... simple as that. But a my town (parish), me love it and mi will gwaan fight for it," he said.

Yesterday's treat saw more than 1,000 children basking in the rides and goodies.

700 children

The first 700 children were treated to school bags stuffed with supplies to include pencils, rulers, books, and sharpeners.

Describing the event as a 'heart endeavour', Popcaan noted that he is no stranger to struggle.

"Mi did find it hard when me use to go school cause me grow up somewhere where mi neva have access to too much things and is the same thing with dem youth here right now," he said, revealing that this was something he wanted to do for years.

"Now me get the blessing where mi can do it and it's from my heart," he said. "I just do it because I think I have the power to. Mi have the blessing and mi just want to share it with some people."

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