[Pirates
Week hosts its Annual Appreciation Dinner over the weekend]

(Grand
Cayman, - The Pirates Week Festival office held its annual
Appreciation Reception on Saturday night (February 23rd) celebrating
the tireless work of those who provide support to help the festival
office celebrate the traditions of Pirates Week while sharing
Caymanian culture with visitors from all over the world.

“For
more than 40 years, Pirates Week has provided fun, fantasy and
history to hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors alike who
seek to experience a festival like no other in the Caribbean and to
create long lasting memories,” said Pirates Week General Manager,
Melanie McField.

The
appreciation event, held by the seaside at the Royal Palms Beach
Club, offered food and drink and words of gratitude to the dozens of
volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make last years’
Festival a success.

Awards
were handed out to volunteers and sponsors committed to keeping
Pirates Week as one of the main events on the Cayman Islands
calendar.

The
Tourism Attraction Board’s (which manages the Pirates Week Festival
Office) Director, Patrick Thompson offered words of appreciation.
“Volunteers like you are soldiers; sort of a covert army joining
hands to make Pirates Week, our national festival, the best and most
unique festival in the Caribbean,” he said.

Long
Service awards were given to Cayman’s most well know pirates;
Orneil “Captain Gun Powder Wes” Galbraith, Duke “Big Cannon
Jack” Tibbetts and Darvin “Captain Black Terrence” Ebanks for
their decades of involvement with the Festival.

Mr.
Galbraith was acknowledged for his 20 years of dedication to the
event; he is the “Captain” of the international pirates krewe,
“Las Tortugas Pirates” which encourages membership and travel to
our shores to participate in the annual festival. Ms. McField also
publicly acknowledged Mr. Galbraith’s willingness to assist in all
areas, from building props and event planning, to travel to the
sister islands and his sustained promotion of the Cayman Islands, its
people and culture through his work.

Duke
Tibbetts was awarded with 30 years of long service to the Pirates
Week Festival for his willingness to travel abroad to promote the
festival at the Gasparilla celebrations in Tampa, Florida as well as
his involvement locally beginning in his teen years. He is a member
of the “Bloody Bay Buccaneers” pirate krewe and has put in
countless rehearsal hours over the years swashbuckling with his
fellow pirates and Red Coats at the annual landing pageant.

Veteran
pirate “Darvin Ebanks, was honoured for his 41 years of service to
the people of the Cayman Islands through his lifelong efforts to
promote his beloved Cayman Islands through Pirates Week. Mr. Ebanks
is one of the original pirates having played an integral part in each
festival since its inception in 1977. He has travelled to Japan,
Latin America and the USA in support of the Festival. He is the
“Captain” of the “Bloody Bay Buccaneers” pirate krewe and has
appeared in numerous magazines, photos, television specials and other
promotional media.

“We
acknowledge and appreciate that the foundation of the Festival's
success is built upon individuals such as Darvin, Duke, and Orneil
and their commitment to the Festival. Congratulations on your
combined 90 plus years of service!” expressed Ms. McField.

“Thank
you for the many years of service and dedication to making our
National Festival, Pirates Week the success that it is today,” she
added.

Kate
Crawford received the A. Mark Ebanks Memorial Volunteer of the Year
award, and Parade Marshall and Lead Volunteer Marcus Gremli, was also
honoured for his selflessness, skill and years of continued service.

Sponsors
were also honoured for their support and continued efforts to help in
creating a festival at the community can come together in celebration
of heritage, culture and four decades of pirate fantasy.

Minister of Culture, Hon. Dwayne Seymour was in attendance to receive the award for sponsoring the National Song Competition and Chief Officer for the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Stran Bodden represented Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister, Hon. Moses Kirkconnell in receiving recognition for the ministry’s annual financial support.

NOTE

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.

Photos
captions:

Photo
1 – Well known “Pirates”, Darvin
Ebanks, Orneil Galbraith and Duke Tibbetts (far right) receive their
Pirates Week Volunteer Long Service Awards.

Photo
2 - Memorial A. Mark Ebanks 2018 Volunteer of
the Year Award presented to Kate Crawford by District Heritage
Ambassador, Jessica Ebanks (North Side).

Photo
3 - Humane Society Volunteers official
presented funds raised through the annual Pooch Parade event.

Photo
4 - East End Heritage Committee chair, Kendal
Connor celebrates the district as Overall Float Parade winner.