Ariel Rosado Educational Foundation launched

BELIZE CITY, Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

By Alton Humes

Ariel Rosado, the energetic and talented young cyclist whose life was tragically cut down in a traffic accident last year, will now get a ‘second wind’ of sorts to his brief life and legacy, as an educational foundation in his honor and name was formally launched today at a press conference at the Radisson Fort George Hotel’s V.I.P Room.

The Foundation (full name: the Ariel Rosado Memorial Educational Foundation) was founded on January 16th, 2012 by the family members of the late cyclist-turned-trained and future corporate lawyer, as well as the support of members of the press (7News’ Jules Vasquez, Kremanadala Ltd.’s Evan ‘Mose’ Hyde and Stacey Kelly, and Channel 5 GM Amalia Mai amongst them), members of the cycling community, and other well–wishers and supporters, with the intended goal of the organization being to provide sporting opportunities and high school scholarships for deserving young people. (The organization is not yet registered under law, nor does it presently have a bank account.)

There were several brief speeches from core members of the Foundation, including RSV Group/Love FM personality Terry Gordon, cycling associates Messrs. Barney Brown, Bruce Sanchez Jr. and close best friend, Winston Swift, who witnessed the tragic end of a young man seen and known as a ‘friend’ to many both in and out of the community he so loved and participated fully in the majority of his life.

His father, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), Dr. Alvaro Rosado, led the call for formal donations and pledges, and many assembled at the press conference responded enthusiastically, including the Kiwanis Club of Belize, Mr. Aster Foreman (notable Belizean-American songwriter-singer), as well as his daughter-in-law and widow to Ariel, Mrs. Samantha Sharp (on behalf of their daughter Sanya).

But perhaps the most moving tribute came during the Vote of Thanks, as delivered by University of Belize lecturer Mrs. Sylvana Udz, who (while in tears) gave thanks that ‘[we] had Ariel these 28 years’ and spoke of the difficulty his mother, the now Dr. Dorla Rosado (a Director of the shelter Haven House, and just completed her own Doctoral dissertation as her son was going for his Master’s in Corporate Law) had in completing her degree and dealing with the aching loss of her child. But none of that really matters now… for with the light shone by this talented young man, there lies underneath the tragedy a fervent hope that others will benefit from the example of courage and fortitude he set for his fellow Belizeans.

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