Barbados Today

Massy Barbados has presented $60,000 to the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) towards sponsorship of the 2017 edition of Pan Pun De Sand.

Director of Sales and Marketing Mark Doherty said Massy Barbados came on board shortly after the inception of the event and has not looked back.

He said the company has seen an increase in the appreciation for pan music and he believes this is as a result of the NCF adding more steel pan events to the Crop Over calendar.

“Massy Pan Pun De Sand is one of the most highly anticipated events on the Crop Over calendar, evidenced by the large number of persons who gather at Brandon’ Beach to take in the sweet sounds of the steel pan music,” Doherty said Friday during the launch of the event, which was held at the Massy Barbados Cooperate Office in the Dome Mall.

On hand to receive the cheque for the sponsorship was Chief Executive Officer of the NCF Cranston Browne.

He thanked Massy for once again coming on board saying that it was integral for more business to sponsor Crop Over events.

“Free mass events like this carry with it a significant cost to ensure its successful delivery and therefore they become a reality through the support of sponsors like Massy,” he said.

He likened the event to a Cavalcade saying that the value of the national stage is food for the career of young panists.

“It provides a platform for exposure evidenced by its addition to their bios and list of accomplishments from year to year,” Browne said.

The Pan Pun De Sand event is just one of the pan events held for steel pan enthusiasts. Browne said it remains the climax of the “Pan Perfect” weekend and is one of the region’s biggest Pan and soca mix events.