By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE stage is all set for the fourth edition of the Bain & Grants Town Dr Bernard Nottage 5K Fun Run/Walk race and Health Expo.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 27, starting at 6am from the Southern Recreational Grounds. The course will traverse through the Bain & Grants Town community, according to race organiser Sean Bastian.

According to Bastian, competitors will participate in either the walk or the run, which is free of charge. Trophies will be presented to the first three finishers in each age category and every person who crosses the finish line will collect a medal. Competitors will travel from the Southern Recreation Grounds and head onto Cockburn Street, west onto Blue Hill Road, north to Dillet Street, west onto Meeting Street onto Nassau Street to West Bay Street, east onto Market Street and south back to the South Recreation Grounds.

As the Member of Parliament for Bain & Grants Town, Wayde Watson said he’s delighted to be able to continue to show the recognition, honour and respect that is due to the late BJ Nottage, not just for the work he did in the community, but also as the former Minister of National Security and a member of the Bahamas Physicians Alliance Association.

“Dr Nottage has helped many people in the constituency of Bain & Grants Town, which I now serve as the MP, and I and the people of this community are eternally grateful,” Watson said.

“Therefore, I feel as though I/we should continue to memorialise him and remember him for his past contributions.”

Watson noted his wife, Portia Nottage, will be on hand to distribute medals to the first 200 finishers during the run/walk.

In their respect to their fallen leader, Watson noted that the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Forces, the Bahamas Department of Corrections, Customs and Immigration, have all accepted the invitation and are committed to participating in the event.

However, he said they are still waiting on confirmation from the Physicians Alliances Association.

“I must go on record to say, a number of my parliamentary colleagues have also committed to participating and would be bringing members of their constituency branches to show support to myself and the family of Dr Nottage for his representation in the House of Assembly,” Watson stated.

Watson put out a plea to members of his constituency, especially those whose lives were touched by Dr Nottage, to come out and show their support for their former MP.

“Please come out and say thank you by showing your support for the event in his honour,” he stated.

And from a national perspective, Watson, who has helped to guide the lives of so many young and women through coaching basketball, joined Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis in calling for the violence to cease on our streets.

“We are losing too many of our boys and men on our streets and if this carnage continues, this country will be left devoid of the leadership potential that we so rightfully deserve,” Watson said.

“I encourage the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and members of the judiciary to stand fast and continue to do what is right and just to ensure that we rid our country of those persons who seek to invoke havoc on our streets.”

Crime, according to Watson, is everyone’s business, but it doesn’t pay and Bain & Grants Town won’t want it in their community as they seek to be law abiding citizens.

“I will discuss with the proper authorities to seek to have a town meeting on crime in Bain & Grants Town to garner feedback from the people and see how best we can work together to arrest crime and would-be offenders where they reside,” he promised.

But in the meantime, Watson asked for persons to mark the date down: Saturday, January 27, the time 6am and the place at the Southern Recreation Grounds to come out and “burn off that ham, turkey and macaroni and cheese, which we so enjoyed during the Christmas season.”

Free health screening for cholesterol, sugar and high blood pressure, will be offered by nurse Colebrooke and her team of professionals from the Grant’s Town Community Center.

Interested persons are urged to contact Ms Scavalla, the chairperson of the Bain & Grants Town constituency or the branch office on Blue Hill Road for their registration forms.

Bastian said each year they have seen an influx of participants in the event and this year, they anticipate that the trend will continue.

So he urged persons interested to make sure they show up at the Southern Recreation Grounds on race day next Saturday at 6am.