BLOG

WeAreGUTSY Inc. raises $10,000 for Guyana’s youth

We Are GUTSY Directors: Neil Bacchus, Lourdeth Ferguson, Rose October, Janice Hall, Dana Mason, Carla Meertens, Burnell Mingo (L-R)

It was an evening of giving and entertainment as New Jersey based NGO We Are GUTSY Inc. recently hosted its Flavors of the Caribbean fundraiser. The event was organized to raise funds to aid We Are GUTSY in its mission to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of Guyana’s youth. Director and Founder of We Are GUTSY, Janice Hall was heartened by the response. She said,

“The support from my community of Bayonne was beyond my wildest expectations.  And some travelled from NY and as far as Washington DC.  I never anticipated we’d get such an amazing response!”

Fundraiser attendees

While the sold-out audience was entertained by the musical stylings of Devon DaPanist and DJ Kevon. Ms. Hall made it known that the primary purpose of the night was to introduce GUTSY to the public,

Our focus was to show who we are and what we do.  We showed our guests what we do in Guyana with the help of videos from the children & teachers themselves, and the committee in Guyana that supports us.”

More supporters

While many attendees were compelled to contribute that evening, one very generous donation came from Tony Kissoon, a Guyanese living in Orlando, Florida. He, along with other members of the Guyanese Diaspora in Orlando pledged $2800 and 21 electronic tablets. Tony said,

“When Janice described their mission and what they have accomplished so far I felt compelled to support them as they are a registered 501 (C)(3) Corporation. I am delighted to support such a dynamic group and I will continue to support them.”

We Are GUTSY Inc. members holding a donation from the Guyanese Diaspora in Orlando, Florida

By the end of the night attendees donated a total of 65 electronic tablets and pledged over $10,000 to aid in promoting Social Emotional Learning in Guyana’s youth.