There was pure jubilation at the Wildey Gymnasium on Saturday night as St Lucy’s Kimani Greaves and Shalia Morris were crowned the Most Outstanding Parish Ambassadors at this year’s Spirit of the Nation show.
While it was the parish’s fifth consecutive win, representatives for St Lucy said the path to victory held its challenges.
“The journey this year was anything but easy, especially coming off four consecutive wins. At times, it felt frustrating and even suffocating, like the weight of expectation was pressing from all sides,” said Chairperson of the St Lucy Parish Independence Committee, Shemila Scantlebury.
“In those moments, I always heard the voice of my mentor, Ms Janice Springer, echoing in my heart: ‘Shemila, you are a talented soul. You know what you want and the vision you want to get out there. Take a breath and proceed. You have what it takes to bring the voice and dreams of St Lucy to the forefront.’
“That reminder kept me grounded. Getting to know the ambassadors beyond the programme, truly seeing them, hearing them, and working alongside them made all the difference. It helped us connect more deeply with the residents of St Lucy and stay true to our mission. This win feels like a reaffirmation of purpose, a celebration of resilience, and a tribute to the spirit of our parish. It’s not just another trophy; it’s a testament to the love, grit, and unity that define St Lucy.”
Shalia Morris, half of the winning duo, said their journey to victory was not easy.
“Kimani and myself experienced a lot of challenges; sometimes we were frustrated with the process as it was tiring at times. But the saying is true that hard work pays off. I would always say to my partner, Kimani, ‘This programme is a developmental programme to help us grow both personally and professionally. Even though it ends as a competition, we can’t think about it because it will make us lose focus; what is for us will not miss us.’”
The top finishers in the Most Outstanding Parish Ambassadors category included St Peter’s Nakim Wahid and Deandra Gibson in fourth place, St Thomas’ Christian Atherly and Amyah Cox in third, and St George’s Shaquan Marshall and Nicole Sealy, who also took home the inaugural Jacqueline Marshall-Clarke Award for Best Public Speaking, were in second.
St Philip’s Michael Elliot and Jennifer Burrows and St Michael’s Danté Freeman and Liana Griffith tied for second place in that public speaking category.
Weslon Samuels won the Minister’s Award in the Parish Talent segment with his rendition of My Way. Christ Church’s Kymani Devonish placed second with his Bajan Medley tribute to Richard Stoute and clinched the inaugural Ali Sandiford Award for Creativity and Originality. Flautist Zawayne Alleyne from St Andrew finished third with his performance of My Country to Me.
The Designer Award for Best Formal Wear went to St Michael, while St Peter won the Best Costume Award. (STT)
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