8th Indian Ocean Island Games-Organisers get R1m sponsorship from Joseph Albert |01 March 2011
Represented by his son Guillaume Albert, who is the deputy general manager of Creole Travel Services, and by United Concrete Products (Seychelles) managing director Cyril Bonnelame, Mr Albert has personally contributed R500,000 to the fund and has given another R500,000 on behalf of the Joseph Albert Group of Companies.
Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vincent Meriton, who is also chairman of the Games Bureau, accepted the cheques in a ceremony yesterday afternoon at the IOIG secretariat at Oceangate House.
Other contributors yesterday included Hunt, Deltel with R300,000, Ramani & Co. Ltd with R250,000, BDO Associates with R20,000, Kenwyn House with R15,000, 7° South with R10,000, Jothi Pillay with R4,000, Dezil with R3,000, the Children’s Home Foundation with R3,000 and Anse Etoile School with R1,000.
Yesterday alone, the fundraising committee amassed R1,606,000.
In a first donation ceremony on February 14, the organisers received R47,857.50 from Island Time Car Hire (R10,000), St Francis Football Club (R1,500), Senpa (R10,000), Villa de Mer (R10,000), PTA Bel Eau Primary School (R2,500), Bel Ombre Primary School (R150), L’Habitation Cerf Island and Streamline Charters (R10,000) and Unity Relay competitors (R3,707.50).
Another R187,000 was raised during a dinner and auction sale on Saturday night at the Sunset Beach Hotel. This was organised by Mary Geers, who is a member of the fundraising committee.
The money collected so far totals R1,837,857.50.
Contributors have received certificates and thank-you letters from the minister, who stressed that every cent counts and that the organisers welcome any help in their bid to raise the R42 million needed to host the Games.
“I once again thank all the contributors – big and small – for their gestures. We appreciate 
He added that as the organisers await more sponsorship from Seychelles’ friends based locally and abroad, they are determined to make things happen through different fundraising activities.
Sponsors receive different categories of certificates depending on their contributions. Those are diamond (R5 million onward), platinum (between R3 million and R4.9 million), gold (between R1 million and R2.9 million), silver (between R500,000 and R999,999), bronze (between R200,000 and R499,000), associate (between R50,000 and R199,999) and friends (between R10,000 and R49,999).
Present at yesterday’s ceremony were youth and sports principal secretary Denis Rose, Games commissioner Eric Arnephie, and A. J. Shah and Giovanna Rousseau of the fundraising committee.
G. G.