Teixeira 'delighted' with response to Mash
MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms Gail Teixeira says she is "delighted" with the response had from Guyanese participating in the Mashramani festivities. The theme for this year is `We Mashin' As One In 2000'. There are 44 bands and contingents of various sizes participating in Guyana's 30th Republic Anniversary celebrations, the Minister said at a press briefing held Thursday at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown. She noted that the number, however, keeps increasing on a daily basis. The Minster expressed thanks to all sponsors of the semi-finals and finals of the soca/calypso, masquerade and a number of other events. Among the Mash 2000 sponsors are COURTS Furniture Store; Banks DIH; Fernleaf sponsors of the Children's Parade; Grace Kennedy Limited; Ansa McAl Trading; DEMTOCO; North American Airlines; Western Union Money Transfer; Creative Advertising; Colgate Palmolive; GUYOIL; K&VC Hotel; Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T); LOTTO Company and OMAI Gold Mines Limited. Minister Teixeira said more sponsors are needed for prizes to be awarded to the winners of steelpan, floats, masquerade and calypso competitions. She announced that on `Mash Day' - Wednesday - there will be 23 float contingents. They are the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Acme; Ansa McAl; COURTS Guyana; Don Gomes Optical; BB Exotic Gardens; Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC); Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS); Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPO); Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T); Guyana Horticultural Society; KFC; Laparkan/GNIC; Le Meridien Pegasus hotel; Mayor and City Council; Medicare Pharmacy; Ministry of Local Government; Ministry of Human Services and Social Security; Ministry of Home Affairs, Education Ministry; Ministry of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock in combination with the Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Trade and Tourism with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Office of the President; Ministry of Health and Labour; Ministry of Information with its `Media' float; eight masquerade bands; Nigel's Supermarket; Ministry of Public Works and Communication; Housing and Water Ministry; Office of the Prime Minister in combination with the Transport and Harbours Department, Civil Aviation and Sea Defence; UG Student's Society; Buckingham Forest Enterprise Incorporated; Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED); Stabroek News; Western Union Money Transfer; Bishop Edgill's religious contingent; Rayon House of Fashion; Grace Kennedy Limited; The `Trinidadian Group'; the United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Guyenterprise and the Chinese Association of Guyana. Minister Teixeira said she hopes this year's Mash celebrations are as enjoyable and "disciplined" as the 1999 event. Journalists from New York and Toronto are expected to arrive in Guyana to experience what is happening here and, possibly, to offer exposure to local talent, organisers said. The Mash Secretariat has put up a Mash website www.guyanaculture.com for information on activities for the February 23 extravaganza. (Sharon Lall)
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