PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) is just three days away from hosting the island’s 49th annual Carnival, but is still calling on private donors to come to the aid of the foundation in “an extremely difficult year.”
The Foundation has no doubt that Carnival is on track, “but we are at this point trying to squeeze honey from stone,” SCDF President Alston Lourens said in a press release on Sunday. He explained that in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma quite a number of large private sector donors simply could not commit to Carnival as they normally would.
SCDF responded by cutting back on non-essential aspects of the festival, without visibly hampering Carnival’s appeal and organisation.
“As much as you adjust for the financial realities, operational costs remain as they are since we simply will not compromise on vital aspects of the festival,” Lourens said. “So, while Carnival is definitely opening on Thursday, April 12, we are calling on any private sector entity that might be willing to partner with the SCDF, to get in contact with us.
"There are always multiple ways in which you can help St. Maarten’s largest, longest and oldest cultural event. Your support will go a long way in assisting Carnival in general.”
SCDF can be contacted by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..