By Stuart Wilson
The ‘Boyz2Men’ programme held a special event to honour the mothers of this year’s group of young men, at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman on Saturday, 11th March.
The evening, entitled, “Fine Dining with Mom: “Treat Her Like a Lady” was an opportunity for the young men to show appreciation for the women, who mean so much to them, as well as a celebration of chivalry.
The ‘Boyz2Men’ programme, which has been in existence for 12 years now, focuses on empowerment and upliftment.
The high school-based mentorship initiative’s mission is to provide at-risk young men with skills, mentorship support and confidence they need for future success.
Principal for John Gray High School, Mr. Jonathan Clark, Gray High School, noted that the camaraderie of the prorgramme promotes the young men being the best versions of themselves and noted that the results of programs such as Boyz2Men are impossible to quantify, as they reverberate positive for generations.
He thanked the DART organisation and all who contributed for their continued sponsorship.
As part of the programme, each cohort of young men take their mothers on an evening of fine dining at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
There, each of them is encouraged to present their mothers with a single red rose, and tell them how special they are, and how much they love and appreciate them.
By showing their mothers consideration and respect, the young gentlemen will possess a good foundation for their future girlfriends and wives, and mothers of their own children, according to the organization’s ethos.
Cayman Islands Premier, the Honourable Wayne Panton was visibly moved by the young men’s expression of openness and honesty to their mothers about their feelings toward them and during his remarks, he explained that he had been inspired to do the same.
“I have always told my mother that I loved her, but I have never told her why. Tonight, has been an eye opening experience for me in that regard and I intend to make a point of doing so - if not tonight before bed - then certainly, first thing in the morning,” he remarked.
Mr. Panton also thanked the mothers on hand, as well as the teachers and organizations who support the programme, noting that it takes the entire village to make sure Cayman’s young people become all they can be.
A special giveaway from Ted Greene fragrances to some of the audience was also a part of the night’s highlights, in addition to a special dance the boys enjoyed with their mothers.
Keynote Speaker for the event, Mr. Collin Anglin, a past recipient of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award, told the young men that if they wished to make their mothers happy, they should do so by making them proud.
“Your mothers want to see you win,” he remarked, adding that the word ‘win’ was an acronym, which he advised and explained each letter in further detail.
‘Mr. Anglin said, W’ stands for why the men undertake the things they do, which would help them to conquer any how, adding that ‘I’ was for initiative.
“It’s not enough to sit around and wait for thing to come to you. You must learn to take action,” he said.
“The ’n’ stands for never quitting,” he urged, adding that it was tenacity and determination that would make the difference in their lives.
Board Members for Boyz2Men include Simon Miller, Christopher Murray and Seaford Russel Jr.
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