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Official Wreath-laying Ceremony Honoring the 10th Anniversary of the Passing of the Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price

HighlightsOfficial Wreath-laying Ceremony Honoring the 10th Anniversary of the Passing of the Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price

Sunday, September 19, 2021 marked 10 years since the passing of the Father of the Nation, Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price (1919-2011). In his honor, Belize celebrated National Service Day and hosted the Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price’s annual wreath-laying ceremony. For the first time, this ceremony was considered an official part of the National September Celebrations and so, unlike previous years, it saw the attendance of the Governor General, H.E. Ms. Froyla Tzalam, Acting Chief Justice Hon. Michelle Arana and the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Patrick Faber.

Some traditional elements of the ceremony did remain, such as the Hon. Henry Charles Usher acting as the master of ceremonies and addresses by Mayor of Belize City, Bernard Wagner and the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Cordel Hyde.

In his remarks, Mayor Bernard Wagner acknowledged his favorite quote by the Father of the Nation, reciting, “Creation was not finished at the dawn of this earth, but creation continues, and we all have a lot to do to make the world a better place.” Mayor Wagner connected this quote to modern-day Belize, as he noted that creation was not finished at the dawn of Belize’s independence, but it continues. He described this continuance as the work Belize needs to do to face this ongoing medical crisis, and to work to try and educate more Belizeans, work to create infrastructure and work to inspire a collective mindset among Belizeans.

Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Cordel Hyde represented Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, and he also touched on the need for Belizeans to work together, saying, “We cannot be this deeply divided.” Minister Hyde went on to identify the different views on vaccination in the country as having a hand in the division within the state. He said, “This issue to vax or not to vax is divisive and threatens to upend all of what George Price taught us at a time when we can least afford to let it.” He shared that he believes the only way forward is together. “There can be no ‘I’ in the time of Covid. It has to be about what is best for us,” said Hyde. While Minister Hyde said he understands the fear of anti-vaxxers, he also acknowledged that 389 Belizeans had died so far of the deadly disease. He described death by Covid as one of the loneliest ways to die and said that Belizean citizens fighting this disease individually would not be the George Price way. “Individually we are poor, but collectively we are rich,” said Hyde.

Those who laid wreaths at the Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price’s grave included Hon. Francis Fonseca, Mayor Bernard Wagner, Hon. Patrick Faber, Hon. Michelle Arana, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Cordel Hyde, Governer General H.E. Ms. Froyla Tzalam and Mr. Clement Usher.

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