The Halo Foundation announced this week that Their Excellencies Sir Rodney and Lady Williams have graciously accepted the patronage of the newly established Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation.
This endorsement was formalised during a recent meeting at Government House, where Nicola Barriteau, the nonprofit’s Founder and mother of the late musician Ricardo Drue, presented the Foundation’s vision and operational plans.
Her Excellency Lady Williams remarked, “We are always hesitant to take newly formed charities on board, and are dissuaded in some respects to do so.
But in the end, it is a matter of balancing workloads and bringing discretion to bear.” She further added, “The Ricardo Barriteau Drue (RBD) Foundation was favourably considered because Ricardo did not hesitate, when approached several years ago, to become solidly involved in the Halo Foundation’s anti-bullying outreach efforts.
He was concerned that children and teens were suffering at the hands of those who felt that they could say and do anything at the expense of others. This modus operandi is certainly not acceptable.”
Governor General, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, emphasised the Halo Foundation’s enduring commitment to youth-centric activities. “I am pleased that the upcoming Legacy Workshops, conceived by the RBD Foundation, are targeting the 5-17 year olds. The young people of our nation need to equip themselves with all the skills possible,” he stated.
The RBD Foundation, in a statement, highlighted the late Ricardo Drue’s foresight before his passing in 2023. He recognised “the need to establish workshops inclusive of voice training, dance, and drama for [young people] in the Caribbean, starting with Antigua and Barbuda.
One of the strategies discussed was to utilise role models within the art form to assist in the development of the Creative Sector.”
The nonprofit affirmed that they are committed to realising Ricardo’s dream through the establishment of the Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation for Arts, Entertainment, Innovation, and Empowerment, headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda.
Their Excellencies Sir Rodney and Lady Williams are patrons to a combined total of 36 charities, spanning various sectors including arts and culture, community outreach, support for the differently-abled, education, the elderly, history and heritage, the environment, health, sports, uniformed bodies, women and girls, world peace and youth.
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