The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

SENIOR students looking to end their final year at St Andrew’s School with a bang, successfully staged a community centered initiative to assist the Bahamas AIDS Foundation.

At the “Strut For A Cause” fashion show held at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas last Saturday, the students were able to raise a total of over $6,000 that will go towards the foundation’s outreach programme for adolescents infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

As a part of the St Andrew’s School CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) Project, the focus was on bringing awareness to the role of the Bahamas AIDS Foundation in the country and the importance of extending much needed support.

One of the goals of the foundation’s outreach programme is to empower adolescents to become independent, productive and healthy adults. Members seek to empower the HIV+ adolescents to adhere to their medication by providing them with emotional support, building up their self-esteem, teaching life skills, assisting them in achieving success at school and preparing them for the job market.

Bringing the vision to life on Saturday, the lively group took to the catwalk in front of a sold-out audience to showcase designs by Brynda Knowles, Sabrina Francis, Theodore Sealy, Anthonique Farquharson, Cardell McClam, Indira Moss and Kenria Smith.

Participating students included Nagge Osborne, Kristin Bowleg, Janae Seymour, Ragesh Noronha, Courtney Neil, Akeive Burrows, Morgan Glinton, Danielle Johnson, Janae Seymour, Amelia Rahming, Hannah Albury, Victoria Mittens, Celina Gomez, Alissia DeGregory, Caleb Ferguson and Lily Cole.

Also joining the students on the runway as guests were beauty queens Miss Bahamas Universe Toria Nichole Penn and Miss Teen Bahamas Davette Strachan.

Inga Bowleg, mother of Kristin Bowleg, assisted where she was able in the areas of sponsorship and organising, together with a number of other parents. She said it was incredible to see the successful event unfold.

“Lady Camille Barnett, president of the Bahamas AIDS Foundation, was absolutely thrilled and she expressed that at the event. The students were also congratulated my Minister Dr Daniel Johnson for just their act of selflessness. From what we understand, this has been the first student-led initiative of this kind. The easy things to do, which are also fantastic, are cleanup campaigns and things like that, but these kids thought of something different,” said Ms Bowleg.

She noted that many high school students are often looked on as selfish, but the way in which the St Andrew’s students came together to host “Strut For A Cause” thoroughly disproved this notion.

“My daughter Kristin, she has seen my involvement with the AIDS Foundation and she attended the Red Dress Soiree, which I was a part of in 2014 as one of the honorees. With my role at John Bull and the support we extend to the foundation, she is synthesised to the need and the work of the foundation,” said Ms Bowleg.

“The students wanted to do something attractive to their peers, and of course something they would have fun doing. They sold tickets which were presented as donations. Commonwealth Brewery Bahamas sponsored the refreshment booth, and all proceeds from that went to towards the fundraising. Companies donated door prizes, but the primary source of the funds came from the ticket sales. Persons wrote cheques to also just show their support.”