Like the golden rays of the sun that came pouring down after the early morning showers yesterday, so was the contribution bestowed upon the Best Care Lodge by the Digicel Foundation.

The wards can now play on tiled floors and use swings and other toys they could not access before yesterday's celebration of Labour Day.

"It's like a story, it's like a dream that came true because it all started last year," a beaming Margaret Loney, childcare manager, told The Gleaner.

Loney said the refurbishment would enhance the programmes available for the children and was a welcome gesture.

Bob Neish, executive director of the Digicel Foundation, said after refurbishing the bathroom, kitchenette and library at the facility last December, they recognised the need for further assistance.

"We saw the needs, we helped them with 'Rising Stars' and out of that came the realisation that they needed more help and we decided to come back and help them on Labour Day."

He added: "They need stimulation and education to reach their full potential, and there are children in the area that needed to have an opportunity for basic schooling."

Preparation work was done ahead of the day's proceedings as the floor was tiled and the roof changed. Digicel volunteers and cadets from the Second Battalion of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force were busy painting and spread across the grounds carrying zinc, digging dirt and removing debris from the work area.

"What was happening before is that the children were on the floor. We didn't have enough mats and there was nothing much to stimulate them as we had intended for the play area," Loney said.

Gardening project

Digicel Foundation, working under the theme 'For the children's sake', has implemented a gardening project which will add to an existing chicken farm. Benton McTaggart, public relations co-ordinator for the foundation, said the vegetable patch was to ensure self-sustainability for the home.

"What we're trying to do is build it for them so they can produce food and use it for their own sustainability instead of going to sponsors because they rely a lot on this."

Best Care Lodge was built in 1975 to accommodate children who are mentally and physically challenged but out of the 47 people at the home, 33 are adults over 20 years old. Noted people from the home include Joan Anin and Lincoln Blair, who represented Jamaica in the Special Olympics. In 1987, Blair won silver and bronze medals at the Seventh International Special Olympics Summer Games.

As part of its fund-raising drive, Best Care Lodge hosts an annual banquet on July 10 and a comedy show in November. Both will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.