Charity seeking to resurface Highway 1
Sat, 01/14/2017 - 12:00am
A local charity has big plans for Highway 1.
Describing the state of the roads in Barbados as “deplorable”, the Aron and Christina Foundation has partnered with C.O. Williams Construction Limited to resurface that stretch of highway between Spring Garden and Holetown.
However, to make this project a reality, the Foundation, which has a track record of successful projects since 2009, mainly in education, is seeking financial support from businesses along the stretch of Highway 1 and other concerned road users.
“C.O. Williams has agreed to charge the price on which they won the last tender for doing road surface works, so we are confident that it is a fair price and 100 per cent of funds collected by us shall go towards this project. Therefore, we shall not benefit financially in any way from our role in this project,” Aron Truss, Trustee of the Aron and Christina Foundation, disclosed to The Barbados Advocate.
He revealed that already financial support has been secured from several large businesses to cover the repaving costs for the stretches of Highway 1 that abut their businesses, and with additional financial support the project can be carried out.
“We shall not deposit donations unless we receive sufficient funds to do this project. When this project is successfully completed, we shall publish a list of the people who have donated – if they wish to be on such a list – in the order of the amount of their donation, because if it is successful it will be the result of an effort by many,” he expressed, also noting that as a registered charity, people who donate may claim the donation as a deduction on their Income or Corporation tax.
“We hope that such a list will show the Government that there are many who are concerned about the state of our roads and our country. This project is also an opportunity for all of us to do something proactive to help deal with an issue that we all believe isn’t being dealt with adequately.”
Truss further revealed that the plan is to raise the necessary funds over the next two months, with the road resurface works commencing at the beginning of May, after the tourism winter season and during the dry season and completed in about eight weeks. (TL)