St Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) was recognized at the 2013 National Sports Awards for its “valuable contribution towards the development of sports.”
It was not the first time, and came on the heels of a year (2012) when LUCELEC gave over $100,000 to various sporting groups and institutions. Corporate Communications Manager Mr Roger Joseph says the company believes it shares the responsibility to provide opportunities for young people to explore their talents in all spheres and to have avenues to excel, not just now but in the future.
“We see that big picture when we support sports. We are seeing young Saint Lucian athletes breaking the next international record, standing on the gold medal podium at the Olympics, and all the positives associated with these achievements. The potential is there and we are helping to identify, explore and nurture it,” he explains.
The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports with whom a three-year, $150,000 commitment was made is a natural partner in this. Permanent Secretary Fortuna Belrose says the first instalment of that agreement allowed three major school tournaments to be held – under-19 basketball and netball and under-16 netball. She praised LUCELEC for the message sent by its commitment.
“We have had other corporate sponsors but in terms of the level of support and the commitment for the next three years by LUCELEC, that was a wonderful statement to make,” says Mrs Belrose.
LUCELEC also worked with the National Tennis Centre in its hosting of its first inter-school tennis tournament. 240 players from across the island participated in the competition for primary, secondary and tertiary school students.
Tournament Director Ricardo Bowe says the $5,000 contributed by LUCELEC helped cover the tournament costs and the competition “created awareness of tennis in schools, taking it from the back burner to the forefront of school sports.”
While these were new initiatives for LUCELEC, others like support for the National Under-23 Netball Team, the annual Squash Open, the national volleyball and swimming associations, and youth football in Castries have been on-going for several years.
For the LUCELEC Corporate Communications Manager the company invests in young people and sports because it understands its value to their lives and national development.
“Sports teach young people about discipline, teamwork, winning and losing graciously. It teaches them about respect for authority and makes the connection between effort and reward,” says Joseph. “There are just so many social and psychological benefits that can be derived from sports. And there is the potential for economic benefit as well because as our sports people excel at the national, regional, international level, they can earn millions.”
The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports also credits LUCELEC for its longstanding commitment to sports as a consistent sponsor of all sporting disciplines. It is a distinction Mrs Belrose believes sets them apart.
“When a company decides to sponsor sports, it’s like saying to the nation what your philosophy is. Sports is about fitness; it’s about health; it breathes fresh air into organizations but more importantly it’s about building the nation and getting people to understand the values that keep us going and LUCELEC through their motto, the Power of Caring, symbolizes that for us.”
