Cofona’s Sunday Brunch – Grace Lifestyle Center

Over 220 persons gathered at a Sunday Brunch in support of the Council of Friends of New Amsterdam (COFONA) first fund raiser. New Amsterdamers who had not seen each other for years took the opportunity to mingle and mix at the Grace Lifestyle Center in Brooklyn to feast on good food and hear what COFONA is all about. According to most folks asked, it was an afternoon well spent.
In his remarks, the President, Dr. Leonard Lewis described COFONA’s mission as “…to help restore the town of New Amsterdam.” He stated that the association will work with other groups, individuals, and organizations that share an interest in assisting the children, youth, and adults of the town. He informed the audience that the group had already established a presence in NA by forming COFONA- GUYANA this past January after four (4) members from New York paid a visit to the town and held meetings with the Mayor and Town
Council, the Berbice Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Chairman, the Regional Education Officer, community leaders, ministers of religion, and other stakeholders.

COFONA-GUYANA will act as our liaison on the ground helping to monitor projects and oversee programs. Ms. Marcia Williams is the Chair of COFONA-GUYANA chapter. According to the president, the organization’s approach would be non-political and broad-based to garner support from agencies and entities interested in assisting the township. Moreover, for long-term planning and programming, an intergenerational approach would be employed to encourage support from a cross-section of age groups of the Guyanese population.
The engaging Master Ceremonies, Ms. Denise McQueen (Howell), had the audience riveted on her hilarious recollections of events which never were but were reminders of possibilities for those Guyanese, and others, living in the outer boroughs of New York City. Moreover, her quiz questions, about things Guyanese, kept folks in the audience on their toes – although some questions were unanswerable.

Hats Off to New Amsterdam! The hat show had a bevy of lovely ladies sashaying through the crowded
hall doing their of attractive and adoring their heads. COFONA’s generation member the ladies in style by
unique, self- qualities that depict crowd pleaser memories of going to church in the flurry of decked goers, the town quiet afternoon. said that to describe a quiet day is to describe a Sunday afternoon in the town when it seemed as though not a cricket stirred.
During lunch, the crowded hall was abuzz with the conversation of folks catching up on missing years so common among this population of immigrants to the US. Oftentimes reminiscing on days gone by when they nostalgically could recall ‘those good old days.’ Meanwhile, in the background, Jaggae, the one- man band kept the atmosphere lively with Guyanese folk songs so familiar to this crowd.
Mr. Leslie Howard, COFONA’S Vice President, brought the audience up-to-date with some of the organization’s recent activities. He described the visit by four (4) members to New Amsterdam, and their presentation of a donation of over $1,500US worth of tools for garbage disposal. He also stated that the group in NA had already organized and embarked on a clean-up campaign in the township, after it had sensitized the school age children and adults about keeping the town clean and attractive. Leslie also informed the audience about efforts to organize the Junior Boys Drum Corp. Keith London is spearheading the effort to collect musical instruments donated towards this cause. Several individuals, including Mr. Neil McAlmont, Mr. Haydock Giddings, Mr. Eton Forris, and Mr. Alfred Bradshaw have already donated several musical instruments to the cause including 10 bugles, 3 cornets and trumpets,2 dozen drum sticks, and two (2) training manuals. It is intended that the band would be ready to perform at the upcoming Town Week that will commence in New Amsterdam on Sunday, September 25th. During the week-long celebration, on Friday, September 30th, ‘39 Stanleytown’ would be renamed ‘39 Ran Bennett Street’. The street renaming is in honor of Mr. Randolph Bennett, one of Guyana’s most outstanding musicians of his time. Persons are being encouraged to begin planning to attend this memorable event this September in Guyana.
thing with a variety eye popping hats Ms. Jonnel Riley, secretary, and a 2nd introduced each of describing their described personal their character. The brought back Sunday Morning NA. When, after out morning church settled down to a Indeed, it could be

Then later into the program, Mr. Santon Lambert, COFONA’s current Public Relations officer, treated the crowd to the old rendition of ‘Old Higue’. The Old Higue folklore that conjures up frightful images of the ‘bacoo’. The performance captured the spirit of the dramatists of old while, at the same time, opened up new cultural experiences for some of the next, or 2nd , generation of immigrants.
The MC announced the prizes for the raffle tickets and their full descriptions are below:

1. 1st prize winner was Ms. Carol Steele; ticket sold by Ms. Sharon Bender; prize donated by Ms. Bonita Montaque
2. 2nd prize winner was Ms. E. Lambert, ticket sold by Mr. Hewlett Daniels; prize donated by Ms. Paula Bender.
3. 3rd prize winner was Mr. Mark Gordon, ticket sold by Mr. Claude London (Atlanta); prize donated by Mr. Nse Obot.
4. 4th prize winner was Mr. Dennis Moon, ticket sold by Ms. Ruthel Hamilton-Fung; prize donated by Ms. Paula Bender.

The afternoon event concluded with a reminder from the Berbice Children Resource Network Corp. (Toronto Chapter) of their Father’s Day event on Saturday, June 19th in Canada in support of educational scholarships for students of various secondary schools in New Amsterdam.
Funds raised by this Sunday Brunch have been earmarked for Garbage (Solid Waste) Disposal in New Amsterdam. Members and interested persons are asked to see COFONA’S Calendar of Events and are encouraged to be involved.