Radio station helps families in need at Christmas

(CNS): Christmas for Marie Bush and her five children, who lost their George Town home to fire just over a month before the holidays, was made a little brighter, thanks to local radio station X017's Christmas Wish List promotion. In response to an appeal on the station, listeners of the morning show hosted by Blake & Erin, who spearheaded the initiative, nominated 22 people deemed to be in real need of a helping hand at Christmas time. This was a record number, which, the radio station said, was a sign of changing times in Cayman. The other household to benefit was another home in George Town, where four adults and seven children were feeling the pinch over Christmas.

The two adult women, sisters Luisa Bodden-Black and Rosita Bodden, were both unemployed – one due to illness and the other was laid off. (Photo below)

The goal of the promotion is to grant Christmas wishes and offer assistance to persons in need and in the past, selected families have received gifts such as computers, new clothes, toys, Christmas trees, groceries, and payment of various bills.

In addition to X107.1 and its parent company DMS Broadcasting, several local businesses joined in the effort to support needy families over the recent holiday period. These included Digicel, Pooley Cabinets, Generali Worldwide, Trees for Life and International Medical Group.

Both families received presents for the children, a Frasier Fir Christmas tree complete with lights, a Sony SP phone with one month of free data and $500. All items were delivered by the radio stations’ own Santa Claus in a surprise visit to the winners’ homes.

“We were surprised by the number of responses to the promotion and very touched by the stories. Many families in our community have been hurting for a while and it was quite encouraging that several companies joined DMS Broadcasting in getting together donations of cash and kind. We are glad that together we were able to make life better for two families,” stated Blake Rogers of X107.1.