South Reward, Sint Maarten – The St. Maarten National Basketball Association(SXMNBA) and Faceoff Studioz on April 25th 2021 decided to collaborate and form Hoops & Beats Expo in which they provide a platform for basketballers and local artists to showcase their talents to their peers and to the rest of St. Maarten. Hoops & Beats held their first of a series of events in the district of South Reward which was well received by public. With the blessings and endorsement of The South Reward Community Council, the council and a few residents came out in full force to support this event.It started off with a word of prayer from Ms. Irma Gumbs the president of the South Reward Community Council then a few words from Ms. AishiraCecilia, followed by a motivational word from Ms. Rhoda Arrindell who hail from South Reward but live in the nearby district of Ebenezer. Hoops & Beats proceeded immediately with its first under 18 matches. The kids played with heart and soul and many showed interest and persistence in a competitive way. There were many promising talents unveiled. After every quarter there were performances by artist, which a majority of the vocal talent came from the district of South Reward. The whole day was exactly what the three organizers (Alex Ferdinand, Herbert “Prince”Martina and Donald “Simpletune” Carty promised on their media campaign to promote this event; a fun filled day for the whole family to enjoy. Bouncy castle, popcorn, cotton candy, delicious food and drink, basketball, entertainment and live clean performances from local artistthese are just a few things this expo had to offer.
Alex Ferdinand the president of SXMNBA expressed a sigh of relief, stating that; “we have the first one under our belt. This one we didn’t know what to expect especially seeing that this is a whole new concept to St. Maarten. However, we can now use this first event as a gauge youknow a measuring stick for our events to come”. Simpletune who is basically the Beats part of the organization ensured a seamless transition from basketball to the performances deserves his props said a few of the performers. It was indeed a pleasure to be able to enjoy performances without delays, feedback and any other hiccup that would occur.
The Public relations officer Herbert Martina would like to thank the general public, our volunteers, the community council, the players and parents, the artists (Simpletune, Sigma Defence, Swizzy, Sensi-Zee, TrenchKing (D1), Michael Parris, Acero11, Don Grind, DiDreamaDjKevin, OneNess), The DJs (Deejay Speed, DJ Tete, DJ Eagle, DJ Nandez) and of course, the sponsors (Maduro Travel SXM, Bobby Marina, Great Bay Express, First Auto SXM, Napa, Motorworld, Computech SXM, Safe Cargo, MarSea Services NV, Monster Factory, CC1 St. Maarten, SXM Beer, Mega Lotto, Intermar Shipping, Caribbean Liquors & Tobacco, Windward Roads, McDonalds, Belair Beach Hotel, Marks Place, 978 Sanctorum) who further made this first event a success.
The organization will like you to stay tune as we embark on our second event which will take place in the area of Belvedere in collaboration with the Pelican Baseball League on Sunday May 30th, 2021. As our first event we will be heavily promoting Belvedere Hoops & Beats expo. We call on the general public to come out and support as you did at the first. We also would like you to check us out on Facebook and like our page www.fb.com/HoopsandBeats where you will be updated with any developments. Lastly, we are still open for support and heavily encouragethe business community as well and individuals can contact Alex Ferdinand Tel: +1(721)520-2151 Email: sxmnba@gmail.com to pledge your donation to this worthwhile event.
