Community groups, businesses spread holiday cheer

Many businesses and community groups took time over the long holiday weekend and Christmas Eve (24 December) to help spread Yuletide joy. 

For instance, those at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park decked their halls with plenty of decorations, while the Lean on Me Committee delivered food to families in need. 

“We’re helping people around the island — not only all year ’round — but especially Christmas Day,” Leon on Me Committee member April General said. “To know that kids can wake up in the morning and have food on their tables.” 

“Christmas is not always a happy time for them,” said Ms. Cayman Islands, Anika Conolly, who was assisting in the food drive. “So by us helping out in this way — delivering groceries to them — we’re able to give them the opportunity to give them something to smile about come Christmas morning.” 

Closer to town, Camana Bay’s decor lit up the night on Christmas Eve, around the same time carolers with John Gray Memorial United Church helped spread holiday cheer. 

“We go around to our members who are home-bound, older and can’t get out,” one caroler told Cayman 27. “So this is the only Christmas that they have. We go and we sing carols to them. And we get something in return because we get the friendship of meeting them again. Sometimes we have younger members of the congregation with us who have never meet these folks before. Then we have camaraderie. We ride on the church bus, so then we have the fun of us riding all together.”