Native Virgin Islander Michael Thomas, founder and chairman of the Caribbean American Cultural Arts Foundation (C.A.C.A.F.), will be honoring civil rights icon and global humanitarian, Ambassador Andrew Young, Jr., and seven other Caribbean leaders at The Captains of Industry Awards and Gala on June 29 at the Four Seasons in Atlanta, GA, according to a press release issued on Tuesday.
The Captains of Industry Awards & Gala celebrates grassroots organizations doing transformative work within the community to help Caribbean-Americans. “Their work is impressive, and their commitment is extraordinary. They are the guardians of our community and we want to make sure that they are honored for their efforts,” said Mr. Thomas. The event is also a fundraiser to raise funds to support C.A.C.A.F.’s mission.
The black-tie event will include a VIP reception hosted by event chairwoman, the Honorable Marva Jacobs, the consul of Guyana to the State of Georgia. The M.C. is Jamaican-born radio personality and Hip-Hop star, Chubb Rock. Guests will enjoy a silent auction complete with custom Caribbean artwork, and an exotic island getaway courtesy of JetBlue airlines.
The Board of C.A.C.A.F. announced that Ambassador Young will be the recipient of the 2019 Marcus Garvey leadership award, which will be presented by Tiffany Stylon Garvey, Marcus Garvey’s great grand-daughter. He is being recognized for his work to galvanize and strengthen all communities; including the Caribbean-American community. He served as a United Nations Ambassador under President Jimmy Carter, United States Diplomat, Mayor of Atlanta, Congressman, pastor and, most notably, an activist in the campaign for civil rights in the United States; alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as his friend and ally, said Mr. Thomas.
The release states that Mr. Young has been a committed friend to the Caribbean and Africa. In 1996, he co-founded GoodWorks International, a consulting firm focused on advising responsible and sustainable business development in Africa and the Caribbean. Mr. Thomas said, “Ambassador Young is an example to us all. He exemplifies what it means to be transformative. He is a man of profound character and a deep abiding faith with a constant eye toward improving the lives of people in Africa and across the diaspora. He is a true humanitarian and worthy of every honor.”
According to the release, other 2019 honorees include: Ivan Shammas, general manager & general sales manager, Telemundo, Atlanta; Melissa Proctor, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena; Representative Donna McLeod, Georgia House of Representatives, district 105; Jackie Hawthorne, co-founder, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill; Nicole Roebuck-Warner, executive director, AID Atlanta; Lars Minns, head of Human Resources, NAFTA Region, Mercedes-Benz USA; and Rony Delgarde, founder and chief executive officer, Global Paint for Charity, Inc.
Mr. Thomas shared more detailed information about some of the honorees, “Jackie Hawthorne is Jamaican and cofounder of the largest restaurant chain Caribbean franchise, Golden Krust. They provided over 500 meals daily, from November 2017 to December 2018, to Virgin Island evacuees who made it to Atlanta after the 2017 hurricanes, Irma and Maria,” he said. “Rony Delgarde is Haitian and his organization, Global Paint for Charity, Inc. repaints schools and houses in war torn countries. He began in Haiti but branched out to the middle east. Lars Minns is from the Bahamas and responsible for over 300 hires at Mercedes-Benz, U.S.A. Nicole Roebuck-Warner is also a Virgin Islander, Elmo D. Roebuck’s daughter, and is the director of the largest HIV organization in the southeast region and the director of the Virgin Islands all-star majorettes. Donna McLeod is the first Jamaican in the Georgia House of Representatives.”
The C.A.C.A.F. is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization founded in 2016. Its main focus is to support hurricane response and recovery and provide educational mentorship programs to young people seeking higher education. The study, advancement and presentation of Caribbean arts, culture and humanities is also a main focus of the organization. To learn more about C.A.C.A.F.’s work, visit https://www.caribbeanculturalarts.org
C.A.C.A.F. donated $5,000.00 to Schneider Regional Medical Center in St. Thomas in 2018 to aid with the purchase of an Emergency Medical Records (E.M.R.) system that helps to recreate patient’s medical records. The E.M.R. system is defined as “an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.” Mr. Thomas said that C.A.C.A.F. was inspired to make the donation after Virgin Island hurricane evacuees arrived in Atlanta after the 2017 storms without medical records.
C.A.C.A.F. sponsors include Infiniti Global Media, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, Grace Foods, JetBlue, Bahamas Tourism, and the U.S.V.I. Dept. of Tourism. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.culturaltickets.com/. Corporate sponsorships are available through June 1st. Media covering the event can request credentials by emailing [email protected].
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