After a short dormancy, the Sporting Club since last year has a new board, comprising PJIAE employees Evans Marsham as president, Robert Brown as Vice President, Melba Zabala as Secretary, Migdala Artsen-Clarinda as Assistant Secretary, Michael Lake as Treasurer and Anastacio Baker as Assistant Treasurer, with Angelo Brill, Rene Guishard, Emile Levons and Duncan van Heyningen as Members. The organization's objective is to organize, promote and enlarge the practice of sports and recreation, in particular among the workers at the airport.
"We have a lot of plans for 2009; the most important one being to register as many people in the airport community as members of the PJIAESC," said Club President Evans Marsham. Club Secretary Melba Zabala stressed that members do not just have to be PJIAE employees. "This is a club for all workers at the airport, so we want everybody who works for the airlines, handlers and even the concessionaires to join us," she said.
Marsham said the benefits of membership will be the enhanced social relationships between airport workers. "And members will be able to partake in every activity we organize," he said. "We're also planning trips to socialize with clubs on other islands, so our members will be able to take part in those activities too."
The board members said that even though the response to their efforts to get more members has so far been a bit disappointing, that doesn't deter them; the walkathon of March 28 speaks for their determination to succeed.
The walk will take participants from the Raoul Illidge sports complex next to the St. Maarten Medical Center, to the Princess Juliana International Airport. The walkathon will start at 5.00am. The Red Cross has already indicated that they are taking part; police escort has been requested to help guide the walkers through the early morning traffic.
Tickets are already for sale by board members; interested persons can call either the Club President (Marsham) at 5220452 or the Secretary (Zabala) at 5803049. The tickets cost US$ 10. "For that the participants will get a T-shirt and at the finish line at the airport, a light breakfast will be served," said Zabala. Also, club members will be going around with registration forms, to sign up airport workers for membership right away.
The board members called on everybody to take part. "We did a similar walk a few years ago -which started at the Harbor- and it was a lot of fun," said Marsham. "This will be fun too. And it's going to be a healthy early morning walk."