April 16, 2007 — On Monday, the V.I. Carnival Committee presented its annual Hospital Carnival celebration to an immense crowd on the patio in front of the Schneider Regional Medical Center.
Started in 1990 as a way to bring Carnival to the sick and shut-in, the event has grown out of the first-floor lobby at the then-St. Thomas Hospital. Carnival royalty, masqueraders and majorettes greeted and entertained for three hours as sunset gave way to a breezy spring night.
First Lady Cecile deJongh arrived early, looking forward to the start of the program. "I think it's exciting," she said. "it's very nice to do this for all the patients here who don't get out to see Carnival."
The governor's wife has enjoyed Carnival so far, she said.
"I went to the Queen's show on Saturday and it was fabulous and very efficient — moving along very quickly," deJongh said. "And all the girls seemed really talented."
DeJongh noted that she will stay busy this season keeping up with her son, who is part of the Antilles School steel band, and she wanted to extend happy Carnival tidings to all: "Come out, be safe, enjoy!"
Hospital employee Sonia Herbert provided culinary delights at a large booth called Sonia's Place, where she sold saltfish and beef pates, fried fish, johnny cakes, pork and seafood kallaloo, chicken and rice and crab and rice. The menu also included an array of desserts: butter cake, carrot cake and chocolate cake. "Something for everyone," Herbert said with a smile.
Carnival royalty added flair to the proceedings. Newly crowned Queen Esonica Veira was accompanied by queen's court member and second runner-up Beige R. Auradou. Prince Jahmalikye M. Lee Richardson and Princess Kai A. Westbrook not only made an appearance, but also proudly displayed their winning cultural/historical costume entry representing seafood kallaloo with fungi. The coronation of the 2007 Queen of Roy Lester Schneider Hospital, Damelia Correa, saw 2006 Queen Julie Barzey handing over the tiara.
The festivities have grown to the point where they could no longer be contained within the lobby, said Kenneth "Lord Blakie" Blake, chair of the V.I. Carnival Committee. "Pretty soon we'll be holding it in the Barbel Plaza," he joked to his co-host Lindley "Buddy" Kennings, on a radio simulcast.
Attendees included the very young and the well-seasoned, including Marilyn Purcell, who was well coiffed and dressed to the nines. "I used to jump up in the Elskoe Troupe," she said, eyes dancing. "This is very nice!"
Amal Peters, an Ulla F. Muller kindergartener, gave off a resounding "yes!" when asked if he was having fun for Carnival.
The hospital's director for facilities management, Karen Hodge, helped to coordinate the activity in conjunction with the V.I. Carnival Committee. The elderly get transported to the venue from senior citizens' and convalescent homes; hospital patients needing assistance are also tended to by staff.
"They can't sit out in the parade all day, but we get to bring the Carnival to them," Hodge said over the sounds of Milo's Kings.
"The setup process here falls under the facilities management area: the stage, chairs, lights — I thank the whole of the facilities department," she continued, citing the communications and housekeeping divisions. "And my right, left, every hand, Charmaine Armstrong, who is an assistant to myself. And I really would be remiss if I didn't remember Mr. (Darryl A.) Smalls, who just stepped away from the job today for the first time to take on his new assignment."
The deJongh administration recently tapped Smalls as commissioner of Public Works.
Hodge had just received an award from the V.I. Carnival Committee for her service on behalf of the Hospital Carnival presentations over the past six years. Also given an award for their dedication and commitment to Virgin Islands culture were the legendary Milo's Kings, who provided musical entertainment throughout the evening. Several acts offered Hospital Carnival entertainment.
High-stepping action came in the form of local majorettes, beginning with Sebastien's Majorettes. K'nyshau Cameron provided the grand finale, working two batons to stunning effect. More noteworthy moments were provided by the Stunts and Twirlers, Charming Twirlers and V.I. Paradise Dance Twirlers. The St. Thomas Majorettes brought a complement of 85 girls, leaving the crowd awestruck with a romp through musical dance styles from the big band era to rock and roll.
Baby Tropical Masqueraders pranced and bounced through an energetic routine. The Prophecy Elementary School Quadrille Dancers were led by the calling skills of John Bowry, with an onstage assist from Principal Patricia Robb: "When we're missing kids, I fill in," she said with a grin. "The children practice every day at lunchtime for an hour."
More cultural dance came courtesy of the Mungo Niles Cultural Dancers, who demonstrated the "Quadrille Slide," a variation on the "Electric Slide," and the St. Thomas Heritage Dancers.
Khamoi DeSilvia and his father, St. Clair "Whadablee" DeSilvia made special appearances, and Otis "Big Boy" Martin performed. As the program drew to a close, Pan in Motion moved to center stage with the traditional "pan 'round de neck" style of serenading on the steel drum. The older contingent of the Tropical Masqueraders came forward to ring down the curtain on another fabulous Hospital Carnival celebration, the biggest ever.
The next production of the V.I. Carnival Committee is the junior calypso competition on Tuesday.
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