NEW YORK, NY (May 9, 2002) - In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will welcome the Royal Barbados Police Force Band to New York City as they participate in the Flag Ceremony and Awards Presentation during the 29th Annual Governments of the Caribbean State Ball on Friday, May 31, 2002 at the Waldorf-Astoria.  During this “golden celebration,” CTO will honour 50 individuals for their contributions to Caribbean tourism at a special commemorative ceremony.

The Royal Barbados Police Force Band will provide the Honour Guard for the national honourees as they enter the Grand Ballroom to accept their awards.  The band will also provide musical entertainment as the doors open for guests to take their seats as well as during dinner.
Established in 1990, the Royal Barbados Police Force Band was then comprised of just 19 policemen.  Today, the band boasts 46 officers and 10 band apprentices and has proven to be a tremendous asset to both the police force as well as the entire Barbadian community.
The Band has toured internationally, visiting the U.S., England, Scotland, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Suriname, St. Kitts, Grenada, Canada and Germany.

“CTO is honoured to have the Royal Barbados Police Force Band present at the Governments of the Caribbean State Ball,” said Jean Holder, secretary general for CTO.  “Their commitment to the region and their enthusiasm for music are truly inspirational,” he added.
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, CTO will honour 50 individuals for their contributions to Caribbean tourism at a special commemorative ceremony that will take place at the Ball.  The Ball will cap a series of events during Caribbean Week, May 28 - 31, 2002 in New York City, including the CTO Board of Directors meeting, CTO Council of Ministers meeting and a Media Marketplace.

Of the 50 honourees, 33 were selected by CTO member countries for their superior achievements in their own nations.  These individuals are from the public and private sectors and have been involved in various areas of the tourism industry.

A panel of distinguished persons from CTO’s membership and respected regional and international institutions selected an additional 17 individuals who have made special contributions to the cause of regional tourism.
During the ceremony, CTO will also present Lifetime Achievement Awards to Michael Youngman, former director of marketing, Caribbean Tourism Organization; John Bell, CEO and director general, Caribbean Hotel Association; James Pepperdine, executive vice president of Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown; and posthumously to Erick “Willy” Rotin, past chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Association (predecessor of CTO) and co-founder of the Hotel Association of Guadeloupe.

In the past, CTO has presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to several prominent figures who have made significant contributions to the region, including: Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Earl Graves, Cicely Tyson and New York Congressman Charles Rangel.

CTO will welcome back Brenda Blackmon, a notable television news anchor for WWOR’s UPN 9 News, to host the famed gala for the second consecutive year as Master of Ceremonies.

UPN 9, WWOR-TV, is the flagship station of the United Paramount Network and can be seen in the New York/New Jersey area. Ms. Blackmon joined the UPN 9, WWOR news team in 1990 as a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor, and has since become the primary anchor for UPN 9
NEWS.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization is the region’s tourism development agency comprised of 32 member governments and a myriad of private sector companies with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto.

The CTO’s primary objective is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.  The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and statistics and sustainable tourism development.

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