The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition continues to empower young ladies through its mantra of “Jamaican Women…Shaping our Culture and our Nation”. An aspect of this programme focuses on community involvement in which the Parish Queens and the National Queen are encouraged to establish an outreach project.
It is against this background that the Miss Portland Festival Queen 2014, Tahera Brown has organized a fundraising concert as part of her outreach project, “Special Needs Community Deserve a Chance” to be held Saturday, April 4, 2015 at the Port Antonio High School, Portland commencing at 7:00 p.m. Admission is adults, $500 and children under 12 years old $200 and can be purchased at JCDC Portland Office, School of Hope and Braham’s Texaco. Complimentary tickets are available at the School of Hope for children with disability. The proceeds from this concert will be donated to the Randolph Lopez School of Hope and the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) in Portland. There will be performances by Cereta Stars, Prince Theo, Blackie, Freddie Small, Versatile, DD Rose and the Festival Queen.
The aim of this project is to develop positive values and attitudes among the special needs community in Portland through recreation and socialization while stimulating and facilitating the public’s interest in caring for these children. Also to enhance the recreational facility and beautify the environment of the Randolph Lopez School of Hope and Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) in Portland. It will also seek to improve learning and educational opportunities for the special needs community and foster equal opportunities for happiness, love and education among the special needs community.
The Randolph Lopez School of Hope and the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) Port Antonio Units are institutions in the parish at the same location. Both cater to students with special needs. The School of Hope caters for children ages 6- 18 with intellectual disabilities such as: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Behavioral Disorder and other Learning Disabilities, while the J.A.D cater for Deaf children ages 3- 18.
