Chutney Soca Monarch, Ravi B teamed up with Santa Claus to bring early Christmas joy to the children of St Helena and environs last weekend, as the St Helena Development Corporation staged its annual Christmas Treat and Family Day at Eco Park, St Helena.
Hundreds of children were treated to a full day of fun games, rides, treats and special giveaways with food and liquid refreshments available to beat the heat. At approximately 4.30 pm, the chutney king and Santa Clause arrived via helicopter, and circled the park before landing on the outskirts, a safe distance from the action.
"Christmas is a very special time for families and children in general," Ravi B said, "so we wanted to add some excitement to the day with our special arrival. The flight was short, but very cool and fun, so I enjoyed the experience and the adventure."
Once on the ground, the duo greeted children on their way to the stage, and began sharing presents, sweets, hugs, kisses, photos and best wishes of the season. Hundreds of children lined up, with their parents, to share a few minutes each with the two popular personalities, and both were in high spirits as they interacted with the families in attendance.
As darkness descended on the plain and the younger children had gone home, frontline singers, Nisha B and Gregory Ayuen joined Ravi B on stage, as Karma performed for the adults, putting a cap on a fun-filled day in the bustling community.
St Helena Development Corporation director, Prandeo Sitahal, explained that the aim was to transform Eco Park into a multi-purpose facility, which could accommodate fun, and healthy activities for adults and children alike.
"We've been doing this event now for about twelve years," explained Sitahal, "and every year it gets bigger and better because we invite the parents and children from all the surrounding areas, and even as far as Arima.
"We're all about community improvement, and this park plays a big part in this community. Now we have a newly-paved walking-track 510 metres long, which was a project we embarked upon after recognising we have a lot of diabetes cases in the area."