Sterling Gospel Music Awards postponed, organisers committed to public safety
The Sterling Gospel Music Awards (SGMA) joins
the growing list of events which are postponing due to the coronavirus
outbreak, which had its first reported case in Jamaica this week.
The fourth staging of the award ceremony,
which recognises players in the gospel community, was scheduled for March 14 at
the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston. The show has been postponed until
further notice, a decision founder and director Basillia Barnaby-Cuff said was
both difficult and easy to make.
“This is all happening 3 days before the
show,” she told BUZZ. “All
the plans were put in place, logistics solidified, payments made, promotions in
high gear…all aimed at a seamless roll out on Saturday. It has been an
intense almost 12 months of planning and coordinating all the necessary
logistics.
“Even though we will suffer losses,
especially where promotions are concerned, we are confident that this is the
absolutely best move for everyone involved.”
She added that it is important for the
organisation to play its role in mitigating the spread of the virus, in light
of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ press briefing yesterday, where he announced
the ban of social gatherings over the next 14 days.
“We know that this is the wise thing to
do in the interest of the public, and thankfully our sponsors were supportive
of the decision without hesitation,” said Barnaby-Cuff. “Guided by
the Ministry of Health and Wellness, we wanted to ensure that we played our
part in not putting the public at risk.”
Pending the new date, she urged patrons to
retain their tickets.
“All tickets purchased from our certified
locations (York Pharmacy, online: www.spurropen.com and Zan’s Fabric in
Mandeville), remain valid for the new date which will be announced as soon as
this becomes possible,” she said. “In the meantime, we continue to
pray and stay vigilant, while encouraging the public to do the same, via our
social media pages.”
