The Barbados Lottery Equips Youth, Education and Service Organizations with PPEs to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

The Barbados Lottery has reaffirmed its commitment to help protect the citizens of Barbados from the deadly COVID-19 virus with recent donations of PPEs and sanitization products to fifteen organizations including service, educational and youth-based institutions across the island.

The targeted series of donations which occurred between January and April largely benefited the nation’s youth who have now resumed face-to-face learning, sports organizations, the medical fraternity and the homeless community.

At least six educational institutions were among the fifteen entities that received contributions from The Barbados Lottery. They include: The Learning Centre (home to one of IGT’s ASA computer centres), St. Giles Primary School PTA, Pro Shottas Soccer School, Bayleys Primary, Hilda Skeene Primary and Gordon Walters Primary schools.

Principal of The Learning Centre Ms. Arlene Arthur thanked The Barbados Lottery for its kind gifts.

“Thank you for your generous gift to The Learning Centre. We are thrilled to have your support through your donation of PPE equipment which will go a long way in keeping our school safe. For this, we are extremely grateful.”

Mrs. Gretchen Bailey-Jones, Principal of Gordon Walters Primary School, noted the drastic disruption that the pandemic has caused in children’s ability to interact with one another at school.

“I could never imagine that students would be unable to socialize and enjoy each other’s company in the same manner that we did while at school. COVID-19 has changed the way in which the entire world operates; social distancing, wearing of masks and continuous sanitization of hands have become the new norm,” Mrs. Bailey-Jones observed.

She continued, “This donation of Personal Protective Equipment will supplement the amount provided by the Ministry of Education. We appreciate this kind gesture and l wish to say thank you to IGT Global Services Limited, managers of The Barbados Lottery, on behalf of the entire Gordon Walters Primary School family.”

Sporting bodies and lottery beneficiaries such as the National Sports Council, The Barbados Turf Club, Barbados Olympic Association and the Barbados Cricket Association have also received and benefitted from the donations of protective and cleaning supplies.

CEO of The Barbados Turf Club Rosette Peirce remarked, “Due to the large number of persons who frequent the Garrison and with whom we come into contact on a daily basis, the use of proper protective gear and sanitizer are paramount to keeping our industry safe and we very much welcome this donation which we will put to good use.”

She also stated that: “The Barbados Turf Club and the entire racing fraternity are extremely appreciative of the generosity and general consideration which the team at The Barbados Lottery continues to demonstrate in all areas.”

Director of Sport at The National Sports Council Mr. Neil Murray noted that the donated items came at a significant time when the country was reeling from the hazardous respiratory effects of the La Soufriere volcanic eruption in St. Vincent as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The National Sports Council is very grateful for the supply of PPEs donated by our partners IGT Global Services (The Barbados Lottery), as their use went a long way towards helping to protect staff at our various locations against the coronavirus pandemic as well as the volcanic ash from the La Soufriere eruption.”

He further noted, “The donation was timely, yet critical as the Council has a large staff complement and needed as much assistance as possible to continue servicing the communities, playing fields and pavilions."

Embracing the prospect of returning to regular sporting activities soon, CEO of The Barbados Cricket Association, Dr. Roland Butcher acknowledged and thanked the lottery for their initiative and support.

“These items are a timely reminder of The Barbados Lottery's support and the sweeping effects of COVID across the society. This donation will contribute to the BCA's own effort in helping our clubs and schools prepare for a 2021 domestic season, which we are looking forward to."

Glyne Clarke, General Manager of The Barbados Olympic Association, who stated that the entity is “extremely grateful to receive this donation of PPE supplies” was also optimistic about the prospects of sporting activities provided that the necessary steps are taken for the country’s recovery from the pandemic.

“We are confident this donation will play a vital role in providing an added layer of protection to our National Federations, the athletes as well as our staff as we continue to take steps forward to fight this pandemic,” Clarke noted.

This latest gesture of PPE donation has also assisted persons within high-risk groups with the inclusion of The Barbados Diabetes Foundation and The Barbados Cancer Society as beneficiaries. These groups cater to people with comorbidities and who need to take extra precautions during the pandemic.

President of The Barbados Cancer Society, Dr. Cooke-Johnson noted, “Approximately 300 kids 3-ply face masks were donated. These face masks are being provided to children diagnosed with cancer and attending the QEH to receive chemotherapy treatment. Their immune systems are fragile at this time and their parents have to take great care to protect them from the COVID-19 virus.”

Cally Boyea, CEO of The Barbados Diabetes Foundation also thanked IGT and The Barbados Lottery for their generous donations to the healthcare sector stating, “In the current COVID-19 environment, it is critical that we continue the daily provision of PPE to our Care Team, our Administrative Staff and our Patients. Hence your provision of various types and sizes of face masks, hand sanitizer, face shields and surgical alcohol is deeply appreciated. Your donation of such items goes a long way in assisting The Diabetes Centre with meeting the COVID-19 Protocols.”

Another entity assisting vulnerable groups, The Barbados Alliance To End Homelessness, was also supplied with sanitization products and PPEs which they later distributed to homeless people across the country. President of the Alliance, Mr. Kemar Saffrey, noted that the items will help to stop the spread of the virus among the homeless and members of the public.

“We at The Barbados Alliance To End Homelessness would like to thank The Barbados Lottery for their generous donation of various PPE inclusive of face masks, hand sanitizers and face shields, just to name a few, which has been distributed amongst the homeless to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 amongst themselves and the general public of Barbados.”

Ferdinand Lord, Site Operations Manager, The Barbados Lottery noted: “IGT and The Barbados Lottery remain committed to improving the quality of life of our youths and the citizenry of Barbados. This has been demonstrated in our response to the current COVID-19 crisis impacting all in our society. Our decision to donate these well-needed items to the respective groups solidifies our commitment to making positive contributions towards the educational advancement of our youth, sports development in our society and protecting our healthcare workers and the most vulnerable within our population.”

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About the Barbados Lottery:

The Barbados Lottery was established in 2005 to support Youth, Sports and Culture. Lottery proceeds support many youth, sports and cultural programmes throughout the community, including its biggest beneficiaries -The Barbados Cricket Association, Barbados Turf Club, Barbados Olympic Association and the National Sports Council.

The Lottery currently offers players a suite of seven games: Super Lotto, Double Draw, Pick 4, Mega 6, Scratch & Win, Caribbean Keno and Express Cash.

The Barbados Lottery is powered by and operated by IGT (NYSE:IGT), who have been a member of the Bajan business community since 1994. The technology firm is a leading commercial operator and provider of technology in regulated gaming markets worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.mybarbadoslottery.com.

 

About IGT:

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivaled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com