Republic Bank (EC) Limited, brought culture, creativity and community to cricket fans at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium, during St. Lucia’s leg of CPL T20. As The Official Banking Partner of Caribbean Premiere League T20 (CPL T20), for eight years, the Bank has constantly elevated its level of fan engagement every year and 2022 is no exception.
Fans were treated to a heart-stirring, pulsating and truly Lucian welcome by Mystic Rhythms headed by Christine Jemmott and Lapo Kabwit Events headed by Jason Alcide and Moko Flix. For international visitors it was a rousing introduction to the vibrance and creativity of St. Lucian culture and for our fellow citizens, their patriotic spirit was set alight, gearing them up to give our Saint Lucia Kings, all their energy.
The Managing Director of Republic Bank in the Eastern Caribbean, Michelle Palmer-Keizer explains, “It is all about celebrating the fans who keep the spirit of Caribbean Cricket alive! Our bank sees the arts and culture as ways in which that spirit can be expressed and shared to unify the fans at the venues. When we support our local performance artists, we also support their communities at the grassroots level. On the surface, you may see a Ti-Banan or stilt walker or dancer, but we see the costume designers, the choreographers, the makeup artists all being uplifted by the avenue we have created. Supporting our culture and creativity supports a community at the grassroots level.”
The St. Lucian performance companies were deeply appreciative of the opportunity to showcase their best talent to an international cricket audience and a spokesperson for the group said, “On behalf of Mystic Rhythms International Fusion and Moko Flixs, we are elated and filled with excitement to have been chosen by Republic Bank to Represent at this year 2022 CPL Games in St. Lucia. We created a real vybe and wowed the crowd here and abroad. Big thank you Republic Bank!”
Republic Bank’s commitment to Caribbean Cricket was again spotlighted when
their ‘Five For Fun’ Youth Cricket Programme in collaboration with Cricket West Indies made its official live debut. The audience at the stadium and viewers watching around the world were treated to a delightful 5 innings game played by the first graduates of the programme during the intermission period. The young cricket stars of tomorrow were beaming with pride to showcase their newly learned skills. The Coordinator of ‘Five For Fun’ in St. Lucia, Simmons Jules expressed his praise for the programme; “I am very elated to be part of this programme. I think this Five For Fun is history in the making and having taken it to another level to CPL, I think it augers well. Cricket has a rich history in the Caribbean. Cricket is not an ordinary sport, it means a lot to us and our culture. Introducing cricket to the kids, Five For Fun is taking us back to that level again.”
The new concept of an Under 12 short-format cricket, designed for both boys’ and girls’ participation at the primary school level, was piloted in St. Lucia in 2021, in collaboration with the Cricket West Indies (CWI). This year, it will be scaled regionwide. Ms. Palmer-Kezier explains, “This time around, we will be going bigger and broader with our Youth Cricket Programme in order to nurture the next generation of cricket superstars regionwide.”
Adding to the delight of St. Lucian cricket fans, throughout the four day leg of the CPL T20, were giveaways and impactful engagements by The Bank’s promotional team. Some fans were randomly selected to go live on CPL’s coverage at the Republic Bank Fan Stand to share their energy with a worldwide viewing audience. Attendees were also treated to branded merchandise, refreshments and more. All of this helped to make witnessing the Saint Lucia Kings winning by 61 runs in the final match at the Darren Sammy Stadium, more memorable. Republic Bank’s commitment to keeping the spirit of Caribbean Cricket alive is unbeatable.