The St. John Festival Children’s Village is still a place that brings together folks of all ages and backgrounds. It offers a fun atmosphere where happy memories seem to be made with each passing year. The 2008 Children’s Village is no exception.
Tim Jackson has been a Children’s Village volunteer for the last 18 years.
“I was walking along one day and saw Mary Ellis unloading a truck,” said Jackson. “I asked her, ‘do you need any help?’”
Jackson has been helping out with the Children’s Village every year since.
Basket Ball Is Crowd Pleaser
New Jersey teen, Logan Sheaf , said his favorite activity was “fishing.” Sheaf, was at the village with his friend, Jonathan Ferriera, of California. Ferriera said he likes the basketball game the best. The two island visitors are repeat St. John Festival Children’s Village participants.
Andrea Joseph, who brought her son, Patrick Hendrickson, to the village, said, “I’ve been coming here as long as I can remember, my dad had a food van at carnival each year.”
Joseph said her son likes the basketball activity the best. Yet another lover of the basketball activity is Hasani Liburd.
“It’s always been my favorite,” said the teen, who just returned to St. John from attending a year of school in the states. Michelle Collins, who brought her eight year old son Ezius, said his favorite is also the basket ball activity.
Governor Drag Races
Miss St. John 2008 Razzilee Lamara Oquendo arrived at the village wearing her towering crown, and as usual, her beautiful smile.
“This is always a fantastic event because it gets the whole community involved,” said the newly-crowned queen.
Oquendo’s favorite Children’s Village activity is “the iron man!”
Governor deJongh had apparently heard about how much fun the Children’s Village is every year. He showed up and immediately took Connie Joseph’s grandson Ross Ortiz by the hand, and headed for the race track game.
The Governor was clearly in his element, behaving a little like Tom Cruise’s manager, Robert Duvall, in the favorite race movie, “Days of Thunder.”
The excited, brown eyed, little boy, hung intently on the Governor’s every word concerning how to position his little car to go the full length of the race track! They were both having a great time.
Reliving Childhood Memories
“I enjoyed the games as a child, each year on St. Thomas, as a boy,” said the Governor. He said his favorite was always “a game that involved darts and basketball.”
The territory chief also gave the St. John Children’s Village high marks.
“The community spirit between Rotary and the St. John Community Foundation is a wonderful thing to see, and this is the result,” said Gov. deJongh.
