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Tourism Minister Aloun Assamba (second left) with the Dawson family. They are (from left) Thelma Dawson, son, Jimmie, husband, James and daughter, Shyra.
WELL-WISHERS from Negril turned out at Rondel Village Resort in the resort town on Saturday evening, to celebrate the 20th visit of Californian, James Dawson and his family to the resort, at a cocktail reception and dinner staged by the Wright family, operators of Rondel Village.
The Dawsons' love affair with Jamaica began in 1979 when the elder Dawsons travelled to the island to spend their honeymoon. It blossomed thereafter, so much so that James, his wife, Thelma, daughter, Shyra, and son, Jimmie, kept returning to Rondel Village to spend an entire month every year since 1986.
"I came to Jamaica back then, and when I stepped out of the plane, I immediately felt as though I was at home," Mrs. Dawson said. "I knew I would love it forever and in fact would love to one day live here to the end of my day. Jamaica is a jewel in the middle of the Caribbean," she said.
Minister of Tourism Aloun Assamba, who was among those present to celebrate with the Dawsons, expressed pleasure with the family's unwavering commitment to Jamaica.
"I know that the Dawsons have become like family to everybody here at Rondel Village and I know if they have come here 20 times they have told their friends and other friends have come," she said.
Among the other invited guests were chairman of Rondel Village, Joyce Wright and managing director, John Wright; general manager of Rondel Village, Carolyn Wright; Joseph Smith and his wife, Evelyn; Evangeline Clare, wife of former foreign minister and MP for Western Hanover, Ben Clare; Carey and Eleanor Wallace of Negril Escape; Charela Inn's Daniel Grizzle and his wife, Sylvie; Negril Chamber of Commerce vice-president, Cliff Reynolds; Dr. Carol Ball, and Paulette Bellamy.
