SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — The children who attend the Race Course Early Childhood Institute in Seaton Crescent, Savanna-la-mar will now be able to enjoy ice cold beverages as they now have a brand new deep freezer.

The St Georges Anglican Church recently gave the school the $17,000 freezer. According to school principal, Delores Griffiths, the appliance will not just serve as a cooling device for drinks but will also be used to generate funds that will help offset some of the institution’s overhead costs.

“We will now be in a position to help to finance the school for other things that we need,” she said.

Griffiths, who has been the school’s principal for 14 of her 24 years in early childhood education, knows exactly the things needed to make life comfortable for young students.

When questioned about the school’s most urgent need, now that they have a freezer, she exclaimed, “a brand new stove!”

Father Colin Reid, rector of the St George’s Anglican Church, promised that the church would do whatever it could to support the school as he urged the wider community to get active in promoting a better learning environment for the children.

“The community ought to provide for the youngsters,” he said. “They are the future of this country, let us help them to make life more comfortable.”

The school still needs a well-equipped play area and a perimeter fence for the compound, which is tightly nestled among several small houses in a densely populated section of Seaton Crescent.

While there is still no word on the playing area, plans are afoot for the fencing.

According to Barbara Stewart, who is one of the school’s major sponsors, the Westmoreland Parish Council is now preparing an estimate and as soon as it has been completed steps will be taken to get the project off the ground.