November 22nd 2011 - AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JAMAICA PRESENT HUMANITARIAN AWARD TO DIGICEL CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER, DENIS O’BRIEN

 

The award comes in recognition of Mr. O’Brien’s commitment to moving communities forward in a positive way and was presented to him at a glittering gala dinner at Capitale in New York.

 

The event was hosted by the President of the AFJ, Ambassador the Honourable Sue Cobb and was also attended by a host of dignitaries including the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Honourable Andrew Holness; Her Excellency Ms Audrey Marks, Jamaican Ambassador to the US; Her Excellency the Honorable Pamela Bridgewater, US Ambassador to Jamaica; the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism; and the Honourable Daryl Vaz, Minister with Special Responsibility in the Office of the Prime Minister.

 

Along with the hundreds of guests who were in attendance – there were also video tributes to the American Friends of Jamaica and to Denis O’Brien from HRH the Prince of Wales, the Patron of the AFJ – and from President William Jefferson Clinton with live entertainment provided by reggae sensations, Third World.

In accepting the honour, Mr. O’Brien said; “It’s always been my view that if you do business in a country and make money there – then you should also be reinvesting some of that money in positive community development. As such, at Digicel, giving back to our communities is at the very heart of our business ethos.

“All of what we have achieved would not have been possible without the welcome of the Jamaican people and the way in which they have continued to support us. The American Friends of Jamaica is to be commended on its focus on and dedication to improving the lives of Jamaicans.

 

“Thank you to them and thank you to the American Friends of Jamaica for this wonderful award - I am truly honoured to accept it.”

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP

After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.