By Robert A Emmanuel
Team Antigua Island Girls have vowed to continue to pursue their goal of supporting young vulnerable girls in Antigua and Barbuda.
Their comments came after Prime Minister Gaston Browne pledged to support their charitable cause with a donation of EC$20,000 (US$7,352), set to push them past their US$25,000 target.
The team wants to help create a home for girls in conflict with the law.
“We are incredibly grateful; again [it was] a surprise, a very happy surprise, and our effort of supporting girls in Antigua and Barbuda is not going to stop here. We just encourage persons to continue to give, and meeting our fundraising goal is just one step,” Christal Clashing, one-third of the team that recently completed a 2,800-nautical mile Pacific Ocean row, told Observer.
“If it is a home, it needs to be funded continuously as well so this is a continuous effort on our part.”
At a homecoming ceremony for the women on Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Browne said that the donation would be made on behalf of himself and his wife, Minister Maria Browne, and that the Cabinet would also be undertaking additional initiatives to honour the brave athletes.
“We are all proud of you, and the Cabinet has decided some special things for you; I know for sure you will be honoured this Independence and we are also discussing making you tourism ambassadors,” he said, adding that the government would lend its full support to the team’s cause.
Meanwhile, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Colin James said that the team had continued to raise the profile of Antigua and Barbuda.
Clashing, Emmanuel and Francis, along with Elvira Bell, made history in January 2019 when they became the first all-Black team in the world to row an ocean upon completion of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
“What these three ladies of Antiguan and Barbudan heritage have done is to put this tiny nation on the map, so from our standpoint for tourism, you have really showed that in spite of our small size we can produce the calibre of leadership, the calibre of character and fortitude that it takes to row not just one ocean, but two,” James expressed.
