No tickets for Independence Day at the Oval

The Independence Day parade returns for the second straight year to Kensington Oval and this time attendees won’t need a ticket to enter the famed cricket stadium, a Government committee has decreed.

In confirming the move, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, City MP, who chairs a Ministerial sub-committee on the Independence celebrations, said while Kensington Oval was capable of holding 13,000 people, additional screens would also be installed on the outside.

This year’s parade is themed 2020 We Gathering: United Against NCDs, the Minister of Health announced, as the parade promotes the Government initiative to unite Barbadians at home and abroad while addressing a national epidemic of non-communicable, or lifestyle diseases.

Explaining that the November 30 parade is to be held in three phases, Lt Col Bostic said the first phase, the traditional ceremonial parade and toast to the nation for uniformed organisations would be followed by a march through Bridgetown where the Prime Minister will take her salute at Heroes’ Square, while a third phase has been dubbed the “We Procession”.

The retired army lieutenant colonel said a Barbados Defence Force display will mark its 40-year anniversary.

Members of the newly formed Youth ADVANCE Corps which replaced the Barbados Youth Service are also down to march.

Several schools are also expected to provide entertainment along the route: Windsor, St Catherine, Holy Innocents and St George Primary, Combermere, Deighton Griffith, Daryl Jordan, St Leonard’s Boys’, and Harrison College

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will also have a float on display, the Minister of Health said as he expressed hope that each of the national sporting teams taking part will adopt an NCD to help in the fight against the dreaded disease.

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde also revealed that the 53rd anniversary Independence church service, entitled One Nation, One Love, One Light, is to be held Sunday at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium at 3 p.m.

Bishop Dr Gerry Seale, chairman of the Pentecostal Assembly of the West Indies (PAWI), is down to deliver the sermon.

The Minister said no tickets were needed for entry to service and that eight buses would be chartered to shuttle churchgoers between bus terminals and the Gymnasium.