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That's the word from NCF Marketing Officer, Andre Hoyte, speaking on Wednesday as he accepted a major sponsorship cheque from FirstCaribbean International Bank, in a brief handover ceremony at FirstCaribbean Rendezvous.

Hoyte said the NCF was very appreciative of the cheque which goes toward the cash portion of tonight's first prize for the Pic-O-De-Crop calypso competition, adding the Corporation was once again happy to partner with FirstCaribbean as an associate sponsor of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition, and a major sponsor of Crop Over as a whole.

Noting that he looked forward to a continuation of the partnership again next year, Hoyte added he expected to see greater input from sponsors into the actual planning of the festival.

"We are looking forward to planning early for next year. We have listened to our sponsors, and so we want to come to them earlier next year, and invite them to become more involved in the organisation and planning phase of the festival; and we hope FirstCaribbean will be a major part of that moving forward," Hoyte said.

In presenting the sponsorship cheque and speaking on behalf of FirstCaribbean, Managing Director and Country Head, Oliver Jordan, said the bank, which is in its third year as a sponsor of the festival, looked forward to continuing the partnership with the NCF.

"We welcome the opportunity to be involved in the planning of this event on an annual basis and to continue contributing and supporting culture," Jordan said.

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About FirstCaribbean International Bank

FirstCaribbean International Bank is the largest, regionally-listed bank in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, serving 17 regional markets. The Bank offers a full range of market-leading financial services in Corporate Investment Banking, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, and Treasury. Formed in 2002, FirstCaribbean maintains a Standard & Poor's "A-" rating, and is a member of the CIBC Group. More information about FirstCaribbean may be found at www.firstcaribbean.com.

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Photo (ID-0001) - NCF Marketing Officer, Andre Hoyte at right, accepting a major sponsorship cheque from FirstCaribbean, Managing Director and Country Head, Oliver Jordan, at the FirstCaribbean Rendezvous Headquarters on Wednesday.