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10:59 pm, Sep 1, 2025
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VI singer honoured at Carifesta

Virgin Islands News

Virgin Islands musician Raul “Jougo” Sprauve received the Carifesta XV Icon Award on Sunday at the 15th annual Caribbean Festival of the Arts in Bridgetown, Barbados.

And that was just a small part of the territory’s ongoing participation in the annual event known as Carifesta, which kicked off on Friday and continues through Sunday.

The VI’s 53-member delegation — which includes 13 students — has been taking part in music, dance, theatre and craft events under the theme “Caribbean roots; global excellence.”

Mr. Sprauve received the award, which is one of the festival’s highest honours, for his contributions to Caribbean arts and culture, according to government.
Also a teacher and entrepreneur, Mr. Sprauve is the lead vocalist for the band VIBE — short for Virgin Islands-Based Entertainment.

He has 15 Road March titles under his belt, including some earned with Showtime Band, and his work at the VI-based Home Grown Studios includes collaborations with Grammy-award-winning artists such as Beenie Man, Beres Hammond and Charlie Wilson, according to government.

“Mr. Sprauve’s recognition at Carifesta XV highlights the depth of talent in our territory and the power of our culture on the world stage,” said Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. “He serves as an inspiration to future generations of Virgin Islanders.”

Panel discussion

Mr. Wheatley also attended the festival, and on Saturday he led a panel discussion on cultural restoration and climate resilience in the Caribbean, according to government.

The session, which was held at the Copacabana Beach Club, brought together regional leaders, artists, policymakers and cultural practitioners, who discussed the intersection of climate justice, tourism, education and indigenous ecological practices, government stated.

“Climate resilience is not just about infrastructure,” Mr. Wheatley said during the panel, which was moderated by VI government Communications Director Karia Christopher. “It is about identity, history and honouring the wisdom of those who have lived in harmony with these islands for generations.”

Joining the premier was Joseph Smith-Abbott, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development.

Mr. Smith-Abbott shared practical strategies for integrating indigenous ecological practices into policy and planning, emphasising community-driven solutions and intergenerational knowledge-sharing, government stated.

Panellists also included Barbadian cultural practitioner Clish Gittens, who spoke on ancestral knowledge and indigenous resilience.

Other panels

The discussion was part of The Big Conversation, a series of panels under the Carifesta XV umbrella.

Other sessions featured Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, according to government.

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Landsharks Host Fourth ‘Francis Bay Fives’ With New Beach Dash for Kids

On Sunday, the St. John Landsharks hosted 5K and 5-Mile fun runs and a new 500-yard Beach Dash at Francis Bay. The courses featured a variety of terrain, including trails, road, and a finish on the beach.

Thirty-four athletes participated in the event, including five children in the new 500-yard Beach Dash, which was offered to children aged eight and under. There were 14 runners in the 5-mile race and 15 in the 5K.

In the 5-mile event, the top male finishers were Connor MacKelvey of St. Thomas (34:38), Mark Hayes-Ayala of St. Thomas (40:24) and Lee Richter of St. John (41:46). The top female finishers for the 5-mile course were Brenda Simpson of St. Augustine, Florida (46:36), Jena Bradley of St. John (52:51) and Samantha McNamara of St. John (1:00:55).

In the 5K, the winners in the men’s division were Sam Normington (24:36), Kallen Payne (25:03) and Matt Crafts (31:16), all from St. John. The top women finishers for the 5K were Krystina Miller of South Weymouth, MA (32:01), Mary Jay Cajes of St. Thomas (33:04) and Noel Wright of St. John (44:55). The first-place male and female finishers received a soursop tree from Freeman’s Farm in Coral Bay.

Full results can be found here.

MacKelvey, who also competed in the Victory Half Marathon the day before, was a last-minute addition to the race field. “I wasn’t too sure if I was going to compete today or not and jumped on to register yesterday afternoon,” he said. Two of his friends from St. Thomas also participated in both events.

“We were all very impressed with the community-based atmosphere and to see the famous Peter Alter also running this morning,” MacKelvey noted.

The 5-mile winner praised the race’s distinctive finish: “Running on the Francis Bay Boardwalk and then finishing on the beach certainly made it a memorable experience, especially jumping right in the water after the race to cool down.” What stood out most to MacKelvey was his prize: “I think my favorite part was earning a Soursop Tree to take home. Having a practical prize that I can care for and nurture for years to come will always remind me of this race.”

MacKelvey, who coaches cross-country and track and field at Antilles School, expressed enthusiasm for returning and expanding participation. “I certainly plan on coming back next year to support the St. John Landsharks and would love to promote this race on St. Thomas more to build the running communities between St. Thomas and St. John – especially with my athletes at Antilles!”

Lee Richter, who finished third in the 5-mile and has participated in all four Francis Bay Fives, echoed the community spirit that makes these events special. “Matt and Mary put on a fantastic race,” said Richter, who also competed in the Love City Aquathlon in 2017. “I guess you could say I just like race events on St. John and I really enjoy the ones they’ve put on over the years.”

For Richter, the races serve as motivation throughout the year. “I enjoy being active and the races give me something to work towards,” he explained. “I’ve never really cared a whole lot about getting on the podium, so to speak, but I just enjoy the atmosphere and the community that the races tend to conjure up. Everyone’s really supportive along the way and just in good spirits!”

He echoes MacKelvey’s appreciation for the race’s unique finish. “Real big fan of the Francis Fives for the finish though … you definitely get your sweat on during the last stretch on the road with the sun beating down. With the finish line right on the beach, there’s no better feeling than flopping right in the water afterwards!”

Richter also enjoyed watching race organizer Matt Crafts include his kids in the race day fun. “Also enjoyable moment today was watching Matt running his kids on the stroller along the boardwalk portion – the dude can drive! The kids seemed to enjoy the ride too.”

The race organizers and attendees extended special thanks to the volunteers, St. John Rescue, V.I. National Park Service, and VIPD for their support.

The next St. John Landsharks event is the Turkey Trot 5K and Kids’ Fun Run at Annaberg on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

St. John Landsharks is an informal local athletic club, focusing on swimming, biking, running, stand-up paddleboarding, and anything else they feel like doing.

Contact stjohnlandsharks@gmail.com for information.

 

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