NCB grants $2 million wish to Old Harbour trio

The trio of Claudia Mendez, Tarik Pryce and Dane Warren were all nominated for the NCB Foundation’s Grant-a-Wish programme, an initiative that recognises and celebrate educators, individuals and community organisations that have made significant contributions to education in Jamaica.

For the first time since the programme began 15 years ago, all of three persons from the same the locale were recognised for their service to their community.

A few days before the world celebrate Christmas; all three residents were formally recognised after amassing enough votes to claim a share of the $15 million purse.

Mendez, a 19-year-old aspiring medical doctor, amassed a record high 45,502 to top the community hero category and claim the main prize of $750,000.

“Becoming a doctor is my dream. But I don’t want it to remain a dream so I just need others out there to help make that dream a reality,” said the Bay View Gardens resident, the immediate past head girl of Old Harbour High School who is widely viewed as a role model to her peers and even adults.

Mendez and Pryce were both, last week, presented with a symbolic cheque at a handing over presentation at the NCB Old Harbour.

Pryce, an instructor at the National Police College, garnered the most votes (18,375) in the educator category to also secure $750,000 for himself.

Minutes before receiving one of the most wonderful surprises of his life, the 10-year serving member of the constabulary and native of Bois Content, said: “My mother did a surgery some time ago. She has a spinal injury and we spent quite a sum of money and my wish is just to see her get better because they (doctors) are saying she has one more surgery to be done.”

This year’s Grant a Wish programme was one of the most exciting yet, particularly in the community hero category that saw Mendez slugging it out with her main rival and friend Dane Warren, who tallied 45,126 votes for second placed and $500,000.

Warren, 28, is also a former student of Old Harbour High and is in his final year of medical school at the Texila American University in Guyana.

Speaking online from the Georgetown Public Hospital where he’s on clinical rotation, the Bannister district resident said: “Since I realised what I wanted to become a few years ago my wish has always been to become a doctor and so far I have been struggling. But two million (dollars) per year for medical school is very hard. But I only have 68 weeks left and in all, I have two point-something (million dollars) left…

“Let me be honest with you the only person that significantly paid any money towards my school fee is NCB, $300,000 last year. Nobody. I can publicly state that. And so if this year they can grant any wish it would be to assist me financially. So that’s my wish.”

The winners were initially informed by the foundation that they have been shortlisted and should make themselves available for an interview after they will be informed at a later date following deliberations among the judges.

Having now realised that was not the case, Warren added: “History will now record that NCB is a part of my journey because they will become now the single most contributor outside of myself (towards me becoming a doctor).”