Valentine Fraser, Senior Corporate Manager, CIBC FirstCaribbean, flanked by Shaquoy Stephens (R ) and Kyron McMaster (L), and Deya Erickson on the track, look on as 2011 Carifta Games 100m bronze medalist and 2012 Games 100m silver medalist, Nelda Huggins, works on her runs.

Photo Credit: Dean Greenaway

Valentine Fraser, Senior Corporate Manager, CIBC FirstCaribbean, flanked by Shaquoy Stephens (R ) and Kyron McMaster (L), and Deya Erickson on the track, look on as 2011 Carifta Games 100m bronze medalist and 2012 Games 100m silver medalist, Nelda Huggins, works on her runs.

Photo Credit: Dean Greenaway

As athletes and delegates of the Virgin Islands enter the final preparations for their participation in the 42nd annual CARIFTA Games, CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank has joined with the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA) to kit the national team out with official blazers.

The VI delegation will attend the championships to be held in the Bahamas March 29 - April 1, 2013. The local support is an extension of the Bank´s regional partnership with the Games making it the first commercial bank to sponsor the pan-Caribbean event which takes place under the theme, "A Celebration of Caribbean Unity".

"While this is a first for CIBC FirstCaribbean, we are cognizant that this will be the 37th consecutive year in which the territory will be represented at the regional championships," said Peter Edmunds, Country Manager, CIBC FirstCaribbean.

"With a footprint that extends across seventeen Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, and with most of these islands represented at the event, the Bank´s involvement at both a local and regional level manifests its mandate to encourage our youth to participate in positive activities, including sports, and to be a part of the friendly competition and activities that foster Caribbean unity. We look forward to exciting and rewarding Games as we root for our teams to do their best and do us proud."

Commenting on the local contribution towards the VI´s participation in the CARIFTA Games, Dean Greenaway, President of the BVIAA said, "The BVIAA Executive Committee made a decision to have our delegation outfitted with blazers to have a uniformed look for the first time in our history, starting with the Carifta Games. We are delighted that CIBC FirstCaribbean has stepped forward in this regard and on behalf of the Association, I thank the Bank for this gesture."

The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles, middle distance track events, jumping and throwing events, and relays. The Games has two age categories: under-17 and under-20. Only countries associated with CARIFTA may compete in the competition.