AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize Nation BDF Celebrates 34th anniversary

Lieutenant Justine Swift, BDF
"The raffle tickets are out right now. Every soldier is selling raffle tickets. We have raffle tickets at several different establishments. It a dollar to participate and that dollar qualifies you to win one of the 15 prizes which the first prize as I mention which is $3,400."

"We have a round trip to anywhere in the US among several other prizes."

Jim McFadzean
"The BDF open day has been a very popular day amongst the public. Any different, in terms of the attractions this year? Any thing has been added?"

Warrant Officer, CL II, Saebot Cayetano, BDF
"This year we have some rides, we have bumper cars and all that. We have the traditional mock-battle display and other display that the recruits will be doing. We actually have a silent drill display, which will have soldiers doing drill without being commanded very much."

"We also have our swimming pool; we have an Olympic size swimming pool that we will be giving the public access to on that day. We have other competitions. We have family oriented competitions; mother and daughter and father and son competitions. We will have all kinds of races, we will have people pushing 4 ton trucks and every one of these competition have prizes attached to them."

Lieutenant Justine Swift, BDF
"On top of that we also have the dance. It has been change from the initial location which has always been Price Barracks to ITVET. It's kind of closer to Belize City and since we are in the spirit of giving away a lot of prizes and you know we are celebrating our 34th anniversary, s going to the dance automatically qualifies you to win a residential lot in the Lord's Bank area."

"We have a quite lineup of artists; we have Chico Ramos, we have Reckless and so we turn it into a concert."

Jim McFadzean
"Where does the proceeds from this open day and the dance end up?"

Lieutenant Justine Swift, BDF
"We have a welfare fund which takes care of soldiers in times of need whether it be medical or it be bereavement. So all this money we are raising for this open day goes into that welfare fund that help looks after our soldiers and their welfare."

As in previous years, the BDF will be providing free transportation to Price Barracks.

Channel 7

B.D.F. Open Day this Saturday

The Belize Defence Force is having its annual family open day on Saturday. It's an annual event for family of the force and the public to see some of the work that takes place inside Price Barracks. According to Warrant Officer Class Two Ciego Cayetano, it's an event that no one should miss.

Ciego Cayetano, Warrant Officer Class 2, B.D.F.

"We are having the annual B.D.F. family open day with events starting from nine o'clock in the morning and goes all the way to six p.m. We start off with raffles at the thirty-fourth minute of every hour since it si the thirty-fourth anniversary and it ends off with the grand raffle with the grand prize being thirty-four hundred dollars. We have prizes ranging from eight hundred dollars cell phone, cash prizes and we have games of chance and competitions all throughout the day. We have modified races; we have a four legged race where we have two people attached to a pair of boots that are nailed on to sticks and march in steps or a soldier like race that we do."

Jose Sanchez

Ciego Cayetano

"Will there be any demonstration of artillery usage?"

Ciego Cayetano

"We have basic mock battle display which will be done by the recent pass-out recruits. They are not private soldiers but they will still be doing basic mock battle. And we have the drill display which shows the basis of team work and unison. So it is a family event and it is going to be at the Price Barracks. The family events will even include competitions for mother and daughters, fathers and sons-we are trying to get the whole family involved because we B.D.F. also have families and it is the one day where we get together with the community and we try to raise funds for the different programs that we have. We have summer programs for children all over the country and we also have our welfare that we deal with from the monies race from the B.D.F. day."

Jose Sanchez

"Will there be any B.D.F. buses providing transportation for those who don't live in the vicinity?"

Ciego Cayetano

"There will be one bus from the B.D.F. which will run people from Belize City, but we also have the regular commuter buses that will be taking people to camp. Then we have the one from Oceana that will be doing bus runs from the junction of Price barracks into Price Barracks."

Following the open day, at nine p.m. the B.D.F. will host a dance at the ITVET in Belize City on Saturday night with the Sweet Pain Band.

Channel 5