MASH BRUNCH: Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira, Permanent Secretary Keith Booker, Coordinator of the Children’s Competition, Desiree Wyles-Ogle and Mash Coordinator Lennox Canterbury at yesterday’s meeting. (GINA photo).
PRIVATE sector representatives were yesterday treated at a Mash 2003 promotional brunch as the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport forged ahead with early planning for the annual February 23 celebrations.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira stressed the sector’s involvement in Mashramani, noting the authorities have worked extremely hard to de-centralise the event over the past four years.

“Mash is our way, as Guyanese, of making a statement that we are one, it is more than a national event, it is a phenomenon,” she told representatives of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), BWIA, Guyana/China Sanata Textiles Limited, Edward Beharry and Company Limited and RCA Television.

Teixeira, who chairs next year’s Mash Committee, pointed out that the celebration opens markets for businessmen and women to advertise their products and for those already involved in advertising, a chance to expand.

“There are vendors who bring out their ‘Cook-Up’, vegetarian dishes, fruits and drinks and take home quite a large amount of money at the end of the day,” she observed.

GINA said the Minister encouraged businesses and persons interested in participating in the upcoming celebrations to get involved in forward planning and avoid the late rush. “Some of the well-known participating entities and businesses are already awaiting the arrival of their materials and paraphernalia for the event and this is the way to go,” she advised.

Teixeira listed overall security, concessions and age limit for various categories of floats among issues for keen focus.

She also encouraged potential sponsors to consider early sponsorship of the nursery, primary, secondary, youth individual and regional floats.

Coordinator Lennox Canterbury said Mash owes quite a lot to the private sector when one considers its origin with the Jaycees in Linden, Region Ten.

Hopetown, Berbice is the venue for the masquerade competition and Anna Regina, Essequibo, for the finals of the adult calypso competition.

The popular Fern Leaf Children’s Road March began in 1995 and its phenomenal growth has led to the need for additional sponsors - Banks DIH, DDL, Courts and individuals.

The 2003 Mash Committee was formed in July and has among its 31 members representatives from the Burrowe’s School of Arts, Ministry of Local Government, Guyana Broadcasting Corporation, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Police Force, Private Sector Commission, Guyana Manufacturer’s Association, the Tourism and Hospitality

Association of Guyana, the regions and GINA.

Following a countrywide competition in which there were 93 entries with 54 addressing ‘Unity’, that theme was chosen for Mash 2003. The winning entry, “United are we in Mash 2003’ came from calypsonian Martin Burns.

Mashramani is an Amerindian word meaning cooperative effort and was the name selected for the Republic celebrations in 1970.