BVI Community College Awarded $18,000 Donation From Local Surgeon

TORTOLA — This British territory’s lone tertiary institution, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, HLSCC is benefitting from close to $18,000.

BVI Surgeon Dr. Joel Stevens who resides in Washington DC, on Wednesday September 23rd officially presented the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the HLSCC Dr. Charles and President Dr. Karl Dawson with a check in the amount of $17,897 on behalf of the generosity of his family and friends both locally and abroad.

Having been a former member of the Colleges’ Board of Governors, Dr. Stevens hosted his 70th Birthday celebration back in March of this year at Maria’s by the Sea in the company of more than 150 friends and family.

Dr. Stevens said “I wanted to celebrate the occasion by giving back to the BVI community which set the foundation for my later success, so I used this event to attract support for the College and the BVI Health Services Authority by asking my guests to make a donation to their entity of choice in lieu of me receiving personal gifts.

I was very pleased with the outcome to say, that I’m extremely thankful to my friends from the BVI and United States as well as my family members for their gracious support that has allowed me to opportunity to make this presentation to the College.

Dr. Stevens said he is looking forward to having some form of fundraising event every two years with the hopes of bringing the scholarship fund in honour of his parents (Lilyon and Alfred Stevens) up to a level where it can contribute annually as a scholarship for a student at the College.

Both Dr. Wheatley and Dr. Karl Dawson, conveyed their gratitude to Dr. Stevens for once again using a personal milestone to attract support for the College by hosting such an event.

Dr. Wheatley further indicated that he was humbled by the gesture, and is grateful to the family and friends of this community and abroad for their donations to the College.

Dr. Karl Dawson confirmed that one-third of the funds would be allocated to the Colleges’ Endowment Fund, one-third to a Language Project and one-third to the existing Lilyon and Alfred Stevens Scholarship fund which was created by Dr. Stevens to provide unrestricted financial assistance to students in need of aid to complete their studies at the College.