"I Am Belize"

Well - at least we’re the same age. Tuesday was Belize’s 29th birthday - Independence Day - and the culmination of September’s festivities. Monday night at midnight, fireworks lit up the black sky again, music jammed in the streets, Flayva’s and Faya Wada’s (the clubs) were hoppin’, and the locals were groovin’. Belizeans know how to party! Tuesday afternoon, what felt like the entire country, gathered along the narrow streets of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, to watch the procession of gaudy-wonderful floats, each blaring their own hip-hop dance club mix, creep through the city. The parade took three and a half hours and dressed in Cornerstone Foundation t-shirts, waving Belizean flags, we danced our way through the crowded streets. We sang, we danced, we threw candy, we handed out brochures, and we did the “Waka Waka” - gotta love Shakira!

It was an endless parade of floats - a sea of blue, red, and white crepe paper, balloons, and flags. I glimpsed signs that read, “Happy Birthday Belize!”, “Stand Proud, and Shout Loud - I Am Belize!” Children ran in the streets waving, their little cheeks sporting rub-on tattoos of the Belizean flag. There wasn’t a square to spare - not a single open place to stand along each street. Some people hung out of their windows and balconies, others stood on top of cars and trucks parked in front lawns, and some danced their way through the streets with us - moving from one float to the next. It was a cacophony of Belizean festivities.

Our float might not have won any prizes, but we were proud nonetheless. Streamers blew in the breeze, balloons hung from the railings, and a huge sign about our feeding program glittered in the sun. We had a lively group of women and children (with even a couple men) who brought up the rear - dance party style! I think our music was the loudest and our candy the best!

It was such a cool experience to bear witness to such an intense celebration - to a community so alive and committed to their patriotism. The energy was electric and I think that all of us volunteers felt a part of the event. We sank deeply into plastic chairs at Mr. Greedy's to share a pizza as the sun went down....so tired but happy to have pulled it all off. Cheers to Belize - happy birthday!