Cayman Islands Coco Fest was a crowd pleaser

[More than 2k turn out for annual Coco Fest]

Savannah, Grand Cayman, – More than
two thousand people wandered their way through the grounds of Pedro
St. James at Coco Fest on Saturday, celebrating the resurgence of the
Cayman Coconut industry while raising funds for local charity Meals
on Wheels (MOW). The event saw an increased number of attendees and
ultimately an increased level of support for our national historical
site and this year’s chosen charity.

Pedro St. James was a buzz with more
than two dozen vendors showcasing their authentically Cayman-made
products, all made with the coconut as the main ingredient. If you
were looking for cakes, seafood rundown, Kombucha, gelatin treats,
coco-caramel popcorn or household products like a cleaning brush made
with coconut husk or beauty products such as a lavender and coconut
oil scrub infused with Cayman’s famous white sand; then Coco Fest
was the place to be.

Coco Fest hosted close to 2300 people
and with $1.00 for each entry going toward MOW, the event is believed
to be a success, raising $1,413.00 through paid for admissions. The
remaining number of entrants included children under 12, vendors,
volunteers, media and sponsor representatives in attendance.

“The support was extraordinary this
year, I think that we have grown leaps and bounds. From Grace Coconut
Water and Pepsi who are always willing to assist the community, Red
Cross representatives looking after our patrons and vendors, to
additional guards on loan by the Security Centre and support by
officers of the RCIPS, we are truly grateful,” said Pedro St. James
operations manager, Debbie Bodden.

“I must say a big thank you to
Fidelity Bank, who came on board recognizing this is a community
focused event; their participation was invaluable,” added Mrs.
Bodden.

“Fidelity is proud to be the sponsors
of the 2019 Coco Fest,” said Fidelity Bank’s Senior Business
Analyst, Linval Johnson.

“As one of the few remaining
indigenous banks in the Cayman Islands, we are happy to embrace the
Caymanian culture, and by extension support donations to the Meals on
Wheels initiative. We see this as a great opportunity to give back to
the wider community which we serve,” he explained.

Visitors to the event were also able to
meet with local artists at the Visual Arts Society’s Art Market,
complete with an arts and crafts area for on the spot creative
activities. Children enjoyed cultural demonstrations on how to make a
smoke pot and coconut husk sail boat by members of the Cayman Catboat
Club and well-known artisan Carmen Connolly, showed off her skills
with coconut frond art and how to scrub a floor with a coconut husk.

This year’s BOB 94.9 FM Coconut Cake
Competition was a treat for the audience with radio announcers Doug
Dodds and Matty Sloane and Fidelity Bank’s Linval Johnson judging
the mouthwatering desserts. First place went to Monique Burton of the
World Imperial Beauties with her Coconut Cherry Cheesecake Delight;
second place went to Angelique Smith representing the Department of
Community Rehabilitation and third place to Carol Braggs of Sweet as
Can Be.

New to this
year’s event was the partnership between Grace Coconut Water and
Cayman Spirits Company (CSC) who created a fundraising cocktail
called the “Cocohito”. The drink sold for $5.00 with $2.00 off
each sale going directly to MOW.

“We were happy to partner with Pedro
St. James and Grace products this year to help for a charitable
cause. The proceeds from our specialty drink was a smashing success
and we raised $500.00 to donate to Meals on Wheels,” said CSC
Events Coordinator, Sarita Singh.

Coco Fest was able to bring together
the community for a day of cultural reflection, music, food and
drink, art and community fellowship all while raising close to
$2,000.00 for a good cause.

"Coco Fest is a fantastic family
event that embodies our Caymanian culture and heritage,” expressed
Erin Bodden, Meals on Wheels general manager.

“We were grateful for the opportunity
to be a part of the event this year where we could engage with
attendees and educate them about our complimentary meal delivery
service to 230+ seniors across Grand Cayman. Thanks to the generous
donation from the entry fees and the signature cocktail, we are
another step closer to our 2019 funding requirements," she said.

Other entertainment on offer included
the award-winning film The Bright Spot, produced and narrated
by nutritionist Tamer Soliman and directed by local filmmaker Rob
Tyler, which was on offer in the Pedro St. James theatre. Live music
was provided by Little Magic, Pan n’ Riddim, Miss Issy, Back Beat
Band and DJ Flex.

For information on Pedro St. James,
location rentals and upcoming events contact Debbie Bodden on
947-3329 or email Mona Meade at marketing@tab.ky
or 949-6999.

###

Side
Bar:

The
Cayman Islands Tourism Attraction Board (TAB) is responsible for
managing the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; the National Historic
Site, Pedro St. James; the Cayman Craft Market and the Hell
Geological Site as well as the Pirates Week National Festival. For
information on the TAB or its agencies please email marketing@tab.ky,
call 949-6999 or visit the website www.tab.ky
and it social media sites.

Thank
you to our sponsors:
Main Sponsor
- Fidelity Bank Cayman Ltd.
Tourism Attraction Board
Pepsi
(CEL Distributors)
BOB 94.9FM
Vigoro Nursery
The Security
Centre
Grace Coconut Water (Jacques Scott Distributors)

Photos
captions:
Photo 1: Pedro St. James
general manager, Debbie Bodden with Meals on Wheels Fundraising
Coordinator, Trina Savage.Photo
2: Cayman Spirits Events Coordinator, Sarita Singh and Grace Coconut
Water representative Joshua Pawlik donate proceeds from drink sales
to Meals on Wheels’ Coordinator, Erikka Moxam.

Photo
3: Cayman Catboat Club members, Locksley Banks and Rupert Ackerman
showcase a coconut husk sail boat.

Photo 4. BOB 94.9FM radio
announcers Doug Dodds and Matty Sloane flank, Fidelity Bank’s
Linval Johnson, Angelique Smith, World Imperial Beauty teen, Azaria
Burton, Monique Burton and Carol Braggs. Image
Credit – Cayman Photography