BARBADOS DAY: Fundraiser helps keep heritage alive

Barbados Day was celebrated at the Gallery on Sat. Aug 10, 2013

Hip Hip Hooray! Last Saturday’s “Barbados Day” event at the Birthplace of B.C. Gallery helped the Fort Langley Lions raise funds for next year’s May Day Parade. The annual parade, continuously running for over 90 years, is part of our community heritage. In addition to the work the Lions do in organizing the parade itself, they also work to raise the money needed to cover costs such as for the bands.
A great big “thank you” to all who came out to contribute to the cause and sample the tastes of Barbados (ham cutters, macaroni pie, jerk chicken and coconut water).
Thank you to Governor James Douglas (aka Bruce Mavis) and his mother Martha Ann (aka Elizabeth Bako) and their entourage of re-enactors for bringing our connection to Barbados in history to life. Martha Ann was born in Barbados, as was Colonel Richard Moody who also attended the occasion along with his wife Mary.
James Douglas was taken by his father from his birth mother when he was only nine years old. 200 years later, the Governor was finally reunited with his mom and in her honour officially proclaimed last Saturday as “Barbados Day”. Mayor Jack Froese and the Honorary Consul for Barbados, Marilyn Moseley, then raised the Barbados Day. Thanks to Marilyn and Wilma King-Bennett, the Honorary Consul for Jamaica, for their inspiration and encouragement of the Caribbean themed event. And thanks to all the other participants especially the BC Farm Machinery and Agricultural Museum for making the afternoon fun and special. The success of the Lions’ fundraiser would not have been possible without the generosity of the sponsors (Country Lane Antiques: Euphoria Chocolates; Freybe Gourmet Foods; Full Barrel Cafe; Lee’s Market; Krause Farms; Wagner Hills; Eric Woodward; and Birthplace of B.C. Gallery.)
Hip Hip Hooray for Fort Langley and its heritage! Click to see more photos.