Partners come together to provide Christmas treat and 250 meals for children and staff

Derrimon Trading Limited (DTL) and Dolla Financial recently shared in a holiday philanthropic effort as sponsors of the annual Make A Child Smile Christmas Toy Drive, where 250 meals and donated treats were gifted to the Maxfield Park Children’s Home. 

The Bridge 99 FM/Irie Jam Radio, under the guidance of its philanthropic organisation, IRIE Butterfly Foundation’s chairperson and director of Bridge 99 FM, Syntyche Clarke, began its annual Make a Child Smile This Christmas Toy Drive several years ago in New York.  

The successful Christmas treat has donated thousands of dollars’ worth of toys and gifts to children in the New York tri-state area over the years, thanks to donations from its staff, listeners and well-wishers. 

This year, the company partnered with sister station, The Bridge 99 FM Jamaica’s newest radio station to ensure Make a Child Smile This Christmas went beyond American borders to Jamaica at the Maxfield Park Children’s Home. 

OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO COUNTRY’S FUTURE

Children and staff of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home were treated to a delicious dinner donated by Derrimon and Dolla Financial and catered by Donovn Dailey, a bounce house, decorated Christmas tree, musical entertainment, face-painting, as well as 100 Christmas gifts for the children.

Sponsoring the event’s dinner, Derrimon Trading and Dolla Financial shared similar sentiments on the opportunity to give back to the country’s future.

“At Derrimon we believe in the importance of giving back to our community and we thought this was the perfect partnership to celebrate with the children who are most in need in our society, bringing them some Christmas joy, entertainment and delicious meals that will leave smiles on their faces. We commend Bridge 99 FM and Irie Jam Radio on this initiative and look forward to continuing this partnership,” said Ian Kelly, chief financial officer at DTL.

Echoing the idea of investing in the future, Dolla Financial’s marketing manager, Tashoni Ellis, shared how proud they were to partner with this initiative.

“Our children are our future! At Dolla, our business seeks to promote child development as they are the pillars of our society. The Dolla community stands for uplifting children and the youths of this nation. It is not by chance that sometimes our children get lost and have no support, but even a small helping hand makes a difference in their lives. At Dolla Financial, we help!”

GRACIOUS AND RECEPTIVE

Other supporters of Thursday’s charity event include Paula Surtees of Creatives for Peace, Ibo Cooper, Nathaniel Peat of The Safety Box UK, PR Etc, Hema Luxxe and Konnex. During the event’s proceedings, Bridge FM also carried a live broadcast with Nikki Z and DJ Audley.

Syntyche Clarke, the foundation’s chairperson and director at Bridge FM, noted that “it is always our goal as a company to give back to Jamaica and the Caribbean whenever we can in whatever way we can, and taking the toy drive to the Maxfield Park Children’s Home is yet another example of doing exactly this”.

Clarke added: “When we spoke with the home, they were both gracious and receptive to the idea of working with us to make Christmas a bit merrier for the children there. This is the first of many initiatives we at The Bridge 99 FM and Irie Jam New York will be working on and producing.”