2017 GGAA PRESENTATION CEREMONY – CORNWALL COUNTY – Thursday April 27, 2017
RESPONSE by MR. DOMINIC BLAIR on BEHALF OF THE AWARDEES
Your Excellency, The Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica. Lady Patricia Allen, Custodies of the County of Cornwall, Members of the Governor General Achievement Award Committee, Other Distinguished patrons and guests, Fellow Worthy Awardees, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls. Good afternoon.
It is with a deep sense of humility that on behalf of all the awardees I express how humbled and honoured we are for being awarded the Governor General’s Achievement Award for 2017. Let me first and foremost render our praises of thanksgiving to God for His grace and mercy that has brought us through to this rewarding moment in our lives. Allow me then to thank our nominators for recommending us for consideration for this distinguished award. To all those other individuals including family members and friends, groups or institutions that supported us in our various activities, we say thank you. Heartfelt thanks to the Custodies and Justices of the Peace from the various parishes for coordinating the nomination and selection process. Special thanks to the Selection Committees for shortlisting, interviewing and then selecting us as the recipients of this prestigious award.
Today we laud the Office of the Governor General for this initiative of recognizing Jamaicans from across the island for their positive contribution to nation building especially at the community level. This has motivated many to give unselfishly to make the lives of others better, to give back and to become involved in meaningful activities. Through this programme which started in 1991, many individuals have been given the opportunity to shine and to make a greater impact on the lives of so many Jamaicans. In the society today, there seems to be so much despair but this initiative has given us hope in our country. It is a reminder of what we pledge as Jamaicans that is: “I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart, the wisdom and courage of my mind, the strength and vigor of my body in the service of my fellow citizens.”
Let me in closing again express our gratitude for being selected as the Governor General’s Achievement Awardees. We pledge our commitment to continue to serve this our blessed nation, Jamaica. This award is a recognition of our service to our communities, and in appreciation, this will propel us to continue to support, to uplift, to positively impact and change our communities and by extension our country, Jamaica. Thank you and May God continue to direct and bless you. To my fellow nominees and awardees, May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire your service to, our country Jamaica.
As Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Let us hold it dear to our hearts and let it be our philosophy for service ““The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” May God bless you and may God bless Jamaica Land we Love. I thank you.
