Chartered accountant Sixto Coy was formally installed as Rotary Club of Kingston president last Thursday at 9:40 pm and, in his acceptance address, urged fellow Rotarians and guests to continue supporting the club’s outstanding projects that embody its core value of ‘Service Above Self’.

“For the Rotary year July 2024 to June 2025 I am committed to working tirelessly with the entire team to achieve the following initiatives: Handing-over of five homes for the homeless in partnership with Food For the Poor; provision of breakfast for several schools in vulnerable communities in partnership with GraceKennedy; distribution of black tanks to schools to alleviate their water woes in partnership with Wisynco Group Limited; and participation in a National Labour Day Project with the Government or a private sector organisation,” said Coy who is also managing partner at audit firm HLB Mair Russell.

“As you are aware, these initiatives are extremely costly, so I am making a special appeal to the Government and corporate Jamaica to support these worthy initiatives when you are called upon,” Coy added in a shortened address in keeping with his nature as a man who prefers getting things done more than speaking.

Earlier, before handing the Rotary bell and gavel
— symbols of the presidency
— to Coy, outgoing president, Mureen Thomas, reported on the club’s impressive list of accomplishments that, she said, “continued to create hope for many Jamaicans” over the past year.

Guest speaker Senator Aubyn Hill, the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, commended the club for the “important” work it has been doing since its founding 65 years ago.

“You need people who have hearts of gold [to do what you have been doing],” Hill told the Rotarians at the installation ceremony held at Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

“No country that is going to be excellent can operate without these people… Rotary is at a place that is clearly excellent,” he said, pointing out that the service club unhesitatingly plunges itself into projects that help Jamaicans.

Hill used his address to highlight the Government’s economic programmes, pointing to the high ratings the Administration has been been receiving globally for its stewardship of Jamaica’s financial affairs.

Noting that the current Administration has continued the work of the previous Government and done even better, he charged the audience to play their role in helping the country carve out its economic independence.