World Heart Day is the World Heart Federation's (WHF)
most important advocacy event. Its aim is to increase public awareness and
to promote preventive measures to reduce cardiovascular disease.
The theme for this year's World Heart Day is “Healthy
Families, Healthy Communities” and the slogan is “Team Up for Healthy
Hearts!” It will take place on Sunday, 30 September 2007.
WHF members, comprised of 195 cardiology societies and
heart foundations in more than 100 countries, organize activities for World
Heart Day.
Competition winner Jonathan Gittens (centre)
These include walks/runs, free risk factor screening, press
conferences, art contests, talks by experts and much more.
Following an encouraging event in 2006, the Heart & Stroke
Foundation of Barbados is again this year partnering with Guardian Life of the
Caribbean in organizing a Poster and Essay Competition for primary school
students as its main event during Barbados Heart & Stroke Week, in recognition
of World Heart Day.
In keeping with the WHF's slogan, the theme of the
competition is “Team Up For Healthy Hearts”, and the format, as well as the
prizes, are similar to that of last year’s.
The poster competition is aimed at students aged 5 to 8
years, and they are asked to paint or draw a poster based on the theme, Team Up
For Healthy Hearts. Students aged 9 to 11 are required to write an essay of not
more than 350 words on the same topic.
Prizes are the same as last year’s, with over $4,000 to be
won. First prize in each category is a voucher to the value of $400.00, with
$200.00 for second place and $100.00 for third. In addition, each prize-winner
will receive a one year subscription to National Kids Geographic Magazine. The
school producing the winner in each category will be rewarded with a prize to
the value of $1,000.
The competition is already well underway and runs until July
20. Entry forms have been issued to primary schools across the island, and every
encouragement is being given to students to make the effort to participate.
Judging will take place in August and the award ceremony will be held on October
4 at Harrison College.
Speaking at the launch ceremony earlier this year, Chief
Executive Officer of the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Adrian Randall, noted that
the competition is integral to the focus of the Foundation to make young
Barbadians aware of heart disease and related illnesses, and to instill in them
the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. He felt encouraged by the level of
participation in last year's competition and looked forward to more entries this
time around.
Mr. Randall particularly thanked Guardian Life of the
Caribbean for their continued sponsorship of the event, this being the third
consecutive year of the partnership.
Vice President of Guardian Holdings, responsible for the
Latin Americas, Anthony Archer, who also attended the launch ceremony,
reiterated the insurance company's commitment to the competition. He
congratulated the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados for its thrust in
promoting the benefits of good living habits to the young, as this was a good
way to get the message into the family. He expressed the need for the public to
realize the seriousness of heart disease, noting, for example, the impact that
it had on claims in the insurance field. He wished all participants in the
competition good luck.
Also present at the launch was last year's winner in the
poster category, 7-year-old Jonathan Gittens of Charles F. Broome Memorial
School. Jonathan proudly displayed his winning poster, offering an explanation
of his treatment of the theme “How Young Is Your Heart.”
The winner of the Essay Competition was Olivia Alleyne of
the Christ Church Girls School.
