Good morning, everyone. I'm very pleased to be here.
I've been associated with the BCRC as a partner for the past three years. Our organization is called Playmas Montréal Cultural Association, and we provide programs and social development programs for youth. We give scholarships through our very popular event called A Taste of the Caribbean Festival, and I hope you will all be attending next year. It's a festival where we promote the Caribbean culture in music, entertainment, and food, especially food, the cuisine of the Caribbean. We open that up to the general public so that everyone can appreciate the culture we have and that we bring to this wonderful country of Canada. With the funds, we give scholarships to minority kids in the culinary arts programs. We are partnered with the Pius X Culinary Institute, and we have young people from the ages of 16 to 24 attend the school. We take disenfranchised black kids and help them to have successful careers in order for them to learn, develop, and succeed, and to have a better social life.
Because of the BCRC we're able to get some administrative support, but as Dr. Williams said, it's only for a certain amount of time. It will be for, say, nine months, and then there is no more funding, so we have no more administrative support and we have to retrain somebody else or try to get help. But the BCRC has been wonderful to us as a partner. They have been able to not only help us with administration, but they've been mentors, and they've been mentors to even the students involved in our culinary program. They have been great consultants. She has a great shoulder that I cry on from time to time. I'm really very happy that she invited me to be here. A lot of different organizations need the support of the BCRC.