December 25 has become a special day for members of Kiwanis Clubs in the Kingston and St Andrew area as well as their youth leadership groups.

It is the day when they trek to Victoria Jubilee Maternity Hospital in downtown Kingston under a project called Baby Love which brings a bit of Christmas cheer to new mothers during the Yuletide season.

Last year they were at it again, and lieutenant governor for Kiwanis Division 23 East Stephan Rampair was elated.

“Every year on Christmas [Day], for two hours in the morning, we come to Jubilee Hospital to bring some joy. This year we are delighted to present 55 care baskets to the new families. I say families because we have quite a few fathers who are here and who have joined in the celebration, and I am happy they are a part of the celebration,” a Kiwanis news release quotes Rampair.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, himself a member of the Kiwanis Club of Stony Hill, joined the Kiwanians and addressed the gathering of about 60 Kiwanis members, while another 30 joined in via a Zoom broadcast from the lobby of the hospital.

Dr Tufton presented a special care basket to the first mother who gave birth on Christmas morning.

The group was also joined by representatives of their high school youth group Key Club, Christopher Humber, district administration; Amair Myrie, district secretary/treasurer; and Aidan Rampair, member, who played several well-known Christmas carols on the violin for the mothers on the ward.

Lieutenant Governor Rampair also presented Dr Tufton with a special award — the Godfrey Dyer Medallion — for his leadership of the Ministry of Health and Wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that Jamaica’s death toll was among the lowest in the region.

In expressing thanks, Dr Tufton stated he was accepting the award “on behalf of all the health-care workers in Jamaica”.

Project organiser, Distinguished Lieutenant Governor Beverly Thompson highlighted the preparatory work that had gone into the day’s events.

“From as early as October we met with our team to put together the project. The gift baskets are baby baths that were donated by the various clubs in the division. We gave the club instructions on the items that were to be purchased; these include onesies, booties, bibs, baby lotions, soaps, shampoos, caps, and other baby items. On December 22 we had an entire evening with the clubs making up the baskets and wrapping them. It was an exciting fellowship for members,” Thompson said.

The mothers were incredibly happy to receive the gift baskets, which they said will come in very handy as they contain all the essentials to help them, and the giving atmosphere coupled with the live violin music made the Christmas morning very special.

The Kiwanians were joined by representatives of their sponsors Kirk Distributors, a Carimed Company under the Lullaby brand which donated several cases of diapers and wipes that were included in the baskets.

Representatives of Answers for Children were also on spot to present a play pen to one lucky mother. Answers also offered significant discounts to the Kiwanians for items purchased for the gift baskets.

Project organiser, Distinguished President Audrey Brown, who joined via Zoom, said the Kiwanians were extremely happy that the project was a success.

“I could tell, even over the Zoom platform, that there was a special excitement in the air. This is what Kiwanis is all about — caring for children and their families,” she said.