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VOLUME 2
MARCH 2015
a Message from the
PRESIDENT
As I sit and appreciate the beautiful morning I cannot help but reflect upon how good The Lord has been to us at Jamaica Broilers Group Limited. We have so much to be thankful for. JBGL has so many moving parts, in three different countries no less! We have team members spread out far and wide, all focused on moving the company forward. His hand has not been short; we have seen our sales increase across all operating divisions! Our performances in the field both in the US and Jamaica are the best we have ever seen and both teams are striving for better! We are seeing growth and support for our products in Haiti! There is a momentum gathering in the organization that is truly amazing! As we move into the last quarter, it is important to stay focused and be positive; opportunities abound; care about what you are doing and do it to the best of your ability. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and put forward suggestions. It is only through good communication that issues are resolved, opportunities realized and we keep moving forward. The Lord is good, let us not fail to recognize HIS hand. Christopher Levy President & CEO 2
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Claudette Cooke
the chief’s team Danah Cameron Loren Henry Karla Davis
Photographers Steve Quallo Gabre Cameron
contributors
MESAJ
PREZIDAN
Stacy Moore Joane Bijou Annette Jackson Denise Johnson Avadaugn Sinclair Ibett Remedios Syd Mogg Pamella Russell Alexia Allen Simone Bailey
THANKS
Lè mwen chita poum kontanple bèl maten sa, mwen paka anpechem reflechi sou koman seyè a bon pou nou nan Jamaica Broilers Group limited. Nou gen anpil bagay pou nou rekonesan. JBGL gen plizyè pati kap vanse nan twa peyi diferan. Nou gen manm ekip nou ki pwopaje byen lwen e byen laj, tout konsantre yo nan fè konpayi an vanse pi devan. Men seyè a pat kout; nou te we jan lavant nou ogmante atravè tout konpayi yo! pèfòmans nou nan branch etazin ak jamayik, se pi bon pèfòmans ke nou pat janm wè avan, e tou de ekip sa yo ap fè gro efò pou yo vin pi bon! Nou wè ogmantasyon ak sipò pou pwodwi nou yo an ayiti! Genyen yon enègi ki rasanble nan oganizasyon an ki vrèman etonan! Kòm nou ap avanse nan dènyè trimès sa, li enpòtan pou nou rete konsantre e pou nou rete pozitif; gen anpil opòtinite; sousye de sa wap fè epi fè li nan pi bon kapasitew. Pa pè poze kesyon epi vini ak sijesyon. Se sèlman atravè bon kominikatyon ke problem rezoud, ke opòtinite yo ka reyalize epi nap kontinye avanse pi devan. Seyè a bon, an nou pa kite nou febli poun rekonèt men Li. Christopher Levy Prezidan e Direktè Jeneral
Wow! Our second edition already! Time flies when your “chatting”. Thanks so much to all our GroupChat contributors. We rely on you to keep us informed regarding what’s happening in your corner of the globe. We are excited about all the feedback we’ve been getting from the Group and your participation in our “Share the Love” photo challenge was inspiring! Thanks for your interest in sharing with us... we look forward to sharing more with you.
Excerpt from: The Gleaner: December 20, 2014
Hi-pro bag a winnings! Jacqueline Poyser jumped and screamed for joy as her name was officially announced as the winner of the Ford Ranger Sports Utility Vehicle in the inaugural Hi-Pro Bag of Winnings Promotion.
She said that she purchased several bags of feed in Montego Bay, St James, at ‘Mr Chin’ feed shop and entered the promotions and later learnt that she was indeed a winner.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the Hi-Pro Ace Super Centre, White Marl, St Catherine.
President of the Jamaica Broilers Group Christopher Levy said that the promotion was very good for the group and it could only get better.
It was sheer excitement for the Westmoreland small farmer as she jumped and shouted ‘Yeah Yeah! A win! Yeah!’’ much to the delight of the master of ceremonies, who enquired if there was a doctor on standby. “Mi nuh sleep from last night, but mi still not tired. Mi fill with excitement!” 4
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“We are very proud to have been able to make someone happy. We have received 130,000 entries in the promotions, and it is a very meaningful thing to see a small farmer walking away with a $5,000,000 vehicle. We have been able to achieve this through hard work and dedicated staff, and most importantly, the customers that kept using Hi-Pro Feeds,’’ Levy said.
Excerpt from: Family & Faith Magazine: March 2, 2015
THE BEST FOR THE FAMILY In today’s society it is not unusual to have both parents working away from home to make ends meet; and for the single parent, the task of providing for the family is even greater. Hardworking mothers and fathers are doing their best to balance their roles inside and outside the home and feeding the family is very high up on the list of priorities. Everyone wants the best for their family and this can appear to be quite a challenge when one considers maintaining good health, with tasty, nutritious foods and finding the time and money to do it! Well, here’s some good news for mom and dad, because dinner just got easier: The Best Dressed Chicken now offers an individually frozen mixed parts pack in a convenient re-sealable bag. “We know consumers want a lot of flexibility in preparing meals at home. By adding individually frozen mixed parts to our portfolio of Grade A chicken
products, we are offering a great option when you are deciding what to cook,” said Avadaugn Sinclair, Marketing Manager, The Best Dressed Chicken. “ The Best Dressed Chicken continues to build on its expertise by using the best food technology available to deliver smart meal selections, and an important feature of the new product is Jamaica’s first ever re-sealable bag for chicken that simplifies meal preparation. “With this new package, you can select as many or as few parts as you want and return the rest to the freezer in no time, which is convenient and perfect for the speed of life today” explained Ms Sinclair. The Best Dressed Chicken individually frozen mixed parts bag is available in supermarkets islandwide. For recipe ideas, go to: facebook.com/bestdressedchicken
JBG GOES On-the-Record On the 21st of January, JBG launched the first of a series of tours for 2015 designed to educate the public about who we are as a group and what we’re up to behind the scenes.
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Naturally, we had to start with a bang! So we invited the media to come take a look around... ON-THE-RECORD
Vanessa Benjamin, Pharmacist gives the scoop on what’s happening in the Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre Pharmacy
President Levy with one of his new chicks!
Tricia Jackson, Operations Manager showing off the Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre to a captive audience
Sheldon Davis, Hatchery Manager explaining the technology behind our state of the art incubators. Proud Papa Levy shows off his fuzzy little hatchlings
HATCHERY
JBG GOES On-the-Record
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Members of the media boarded our luxury tour bus and were carted off to the Group Head Office for a feast of a breakfast and a chat with our Executives about the Group’s Operations.
1. Christopher Serju, Gleaner Reporter listens keenly to President Levy’s presentation. 2. Fitzroy Prendegast, Executive Producer, Cable News & Sports asks a pointed question with film crew poised to capture President Levy’s response. 3. Karena Bennett, Business Reporter, Jamaica Observer engages President Levy in discussion about the egg market in Haiti.
“On-the-Record” media tour 1
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growing the brand
usa operations
Tameka Gordon of the Gleaner takes notes.
Hatchery Feed Mill Processing Plant - Further Processing
Feed Sales Ace Supercentre
Table Eggs Feed Sales Best Dressed Chicken (Le Chic Poulet)
Our Main Structure
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Wincorp Trading International Poultry Breeders - Georgia - Arkansas
President Levy showcased both local & overseas operations with stunning imagery from the Group’s portfolio.
JBG GOES On-the-Record
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The group did a walk through of the BDC Further Processing Information here Facility before settling down for a etc blaa blaa scrumptous offering of ourso products for and on about lunch.
the touring of the
Super Marination Man shows them how we do chicken right.
Ecstatic about those Reggae Jammin Burgers!
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Further processing facility
JBG GOES On-the-Record
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Finally, our guests headed out to the Best Dressed Feedmill to Information here dialogue with Assistant Vice President etc blaa blaaJohn Carberry. All were amazed enormity and so at onthe about of the company’s operations.
the touring of the
FUN FACT Lobsters emit pherromones that repel pests looking to snack on our Hi-Pro Feed ingredients.
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John Carberry discusses the mechanics behind the loading dock used to aid in filling our colossal silos.
Our President looks on as workers prepare bags of HiPro Feed for transport.
WINCORP at ippe 2015 We are pleased to have participated in the International Production & Processing Expo’s largest show to date. The latest count shows that we had over 30,500 attendees, and 1,284 exhibitors covering almost 500,000 square feet. This did not go unnoticed at our booth. This is our third year as an Exhibitor, and by far our most successful. We are excited about the potential and continued growth brought to us by having a booth at the IPPE show. The team at Wincorp recognizes God’s hand in our business dealings, and look forward to an exciting year.
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Barry PRYCE
26 years of Committed service
How it all started In August 1988, Barrington Pryce joined the Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG) family. Prior to that, a former co-worker had mentioned to Barry that Jamaica Broilers was hiring, and insisted that Barry must apply. Now having worked with ALCAN for seventeen years, Barry was not looking for just another job. He was ready to step out on his own and start his own business. “You’ll need an income while starting your business,” his co-worker reasoned with him, “so apply anyway.” With some degree of reservation, Barry submitted his application and not long after started working as the Poultry Manager at Jamaica Poultry Breeders (JPB). Earliest Memories - A Hurricane Three Weeks In Monday, September 12, 1988 is a date many Jamaicans will never forget, and one of Barry’s earliest memories of his time with Jamaica Broilers. Merely three weeks into his new job at JPB, Hurricane Gilbert hit Jamaica with devastating effect. Everywhere was hit hard, and the after effects lingered – no water, no electricity, food shortage, and transportation problems. At that time, Barry had been living in Ewarton, St. Catherine. Much debris was left in the wake of the hurricane limiting access to the JBG farms on the Claremont property. It was not until three (3) days after the storm hit that Barry was able to return to JPB and he was forced to travel there on foot, as up to that time many of the roads had not yet been cleared. He recalls the scene when he arrived. “It was an awful sight. There were birds scattered everywhere – dead birds. Of the ten 16
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farms JB had, we lost seven.” It broke his heart to see the condition of the property. It took about six (6) weeks to effect repairs to the damaged farms before things were restored to some semblance of order. The team geared up for hard work ahead, as they would begin the process of rebuilding. Changes and Challenges Barry worked with JPB for nine years until he was reassigned to Jamaica Eggs Service (JES) in July 1997 as the General Manager. His years of experience, and proven track record at JPB made him the perfect candidate for this management role. In his new post, Barry was charged with taking JES from a break even position to one of profit – a challenge he accepted. With this challenge came a change in physical locations, as he now worked from McCook’s Pen instead of Claremont. But this new role now meant there was no more middle man. “I mostly interfaced with other arms of the Group before [while at JPB], but now I had to deal directly with customers.” Mr. Pryce was quick to point out that this was one area he had not previously thought of as a potential challenge. He did not shy away from it, however; and it helped him to grow in his way of thinking. In 2001, there was another significant change, as JBG was restructured. There was a reduction in the Company’s workforce and the Head Office, then at Hope Road, was relocated to McCook’s Pen, in St. Catherine. As part of that change, JES moved to White Marl, and so did Barry. Many close friends left, and many of the Group’s employees were
The Jamaica Poultry Breeders Farm
now required to interact with each other as well as new staff in new ways. “There was a real change in the culture. People had to adjust to ‘country life’, especially since most of the staff who moved out to McCook’s Pen lived in Kingston.” Amidst the very significant changes, Barry remained focused on his goal and successfully helped to turn JES into a profit earner. Later that year he returned to JPB as Breeder Operations Manager. His True Passion After almost fourteen (14) more years at JPB, and now as the General Manager, Mr. Pryce has achieved retirement status. Looking back at his years with Jamaica Broilers, he says he will miss the people and relationships he made over the years most of all. “I’ll also miss the birds.” Now this statement is not one to be taken lightly, as it has been reported that Mr. Pryce “lives in the bird house”. Mr. Pryce has always had an interest in Agriculture, but he will be the first to say that his real passion is for the birds. Generally, his days begin at about five in the morning, “because the birds have to be fed at 5:30 a.m. … You don’t get public holidays, or weekends when working with livestock.” On average, he spends at least six hours with the birds each day. “This isn’t a regular office job … you have to know the birds and be constantly thinking of new ways to innovate. [You have to be] looking at things like their feeding systems, making [the birds] more adaptive to their environment. [As well as] ways to make improvements for better results – better productivity, production, and better quality hatching eggs,
because we’re in the business of producing hatching eggs. The higher the fertility, the better it is for us. The bottom line is how many chicks we produce.” Words of Advice Mr. Pryce is a prime example of a man who practices what he preaches. It is no surprise then, that when he was asked to share some words of advice with persons who may be new to the business, he had this to say - “Be committed; be passionate about the job. Of course, make sure you have the requisite skills, but passion for the job and commitment are very important.” His years of dedicated service to the Group, and to the birds are testament to this as they have yielded many positive returns. Mr. Pryce retired on February 9, 2015 and had this to share with the JBG family, “catch the vision of the company, and always give your best.” These are good words to live by. Cheers to you Mr. Pryce.
Excellent Teamwork yields Exceptional results - BEST IN HISTORY The Live Production Team has worked hard to produce what are now our most optimal results in feed conversion. Due to the collaboration between the Field Department, Feedmill, Lab and Hatchery teams, the Best Dressed Chicken experienced its lowest conversion ratio of 1.64 kilos of feed to 1 kilo of chicken meat. Congratulations Live Production!
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COGEN VICTORIES Raphael Thomas receives an award for going beyond the call of duty At approximately 1:00am one morning, the engine at the Cogeneration Plant that powers the BDC Processing Plant went down. The matter was urgent and with phone lines going down intermitently, it was difficult to reach anyone off site. Mr. Thomas rode his bicycle all the way to the Chief Operations Manager’s home to alert him of the situation. Above, the proud Raphael Thomas receives his award from Steve Palmer, Manager, BDC Cogeneration Plant while his co-workers look on.
In addition to this, The Cogen Department won the overall BDC Processing Plant Safety Quiz and Three Legged Competition for 2015. In the second photo above, the members of the winning side show off their trophies.
Share the love! Congratulations to the winners of our “Share the Love” Challenge! The HiPro team had 7 members of staff, all dressed in red with black and/or white accents and little heart candy props for a little extra sweetness. The GroupChat team reciprocated with a scrumptuous German Chocolate cake covered with chocolate buttercream frosting, topped with shredded coconut in a chocolate sauce and finished with drizzlings of dark chocolate ganache... yummm! Of course, our love is plenty, so we had lots to share! We doled out consulation prizes of Ferrero’s Raffaello brand chocolates: a whole almond plunged into delicious white chocolate enclosed in a crispy shell and covered in coconut flakes. These delicious tokens were given to the teams from JBG HR (top right), BDC Sales & Marketing (centre) and BDF Accounts (bottom right.
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Haiti FOOD FESTIVAL Le Chic Poulet was a major sponsor of the Gout et Saveurs Lakay - Haiti Food & Spirits Festival presented by Culinary Events, Le Nouvelliste, (the National Newspaper), Haiti Tourist Association and the Haiti Tourism Ministry. The festival featured top local & International chef talent, sommeliers and spirits makers from across the nation. Le Chic Poulet which is our premium brand, was well represented and participated two events. The first was the Grand Tasting Culinary Event, showcasing top local restaurants and chefs from the local and International culinary scene using Le Chic Poulet. We also set up our own booth (photo top left on next page), displaying a variety of our branded products. We also hosted our own signature event as a part of the festival, “Le Chic Poulet Corporate Grill Off� (photos above), where contestants from different corporate entities prepared their most original, well presented and best tasting grilled Le Chic Poulet chicken. The event was a wonderful success.
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Haiti Broilers has also participated in local sales events showcasing Le Chic Poulet and Hi-Pro Feeds. In the photo above (to the right), Lawrence Alexander, Sales Director, Hi-Pro ensures that the Hi-Pro brand is displayed beautifully for potential customers to see. We were particularly thrilled to have the Mayor of Petion come by to admire our display. A local camera man caught up with her at our booth where she shared her delight about the event (photo bottom left).
12 chefs A RESOUNDING SUCCESS! The Best Dressed Chicken 12 Chefs of Christmas promotion was a resounding success. 12 lucky customers received an extra special holiday gift by way of dinners catered by the island’s top chefs. We interviewed one of our chef’s and the corresponding winner to get a feel for how it they received the promotion personally.
“It was special, it worked, wonderful idea!” Chef Collin Brown
“I embraced the opportunity to prepare this fare for Samantha and her family. It was good getting to know them and connecting with them on a personal level. As a chef, it is always extra special when your art is appreciated and indeed enjoyed. I am grateful that The 24
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Best Dressed Chicken conceptualized and extended the invitation to me, to be a part of this promotion.”
“Innovative and creative chef” Samantha Charles
“The meal was truly a culinary experience for me and my family. We appreciated that Chef Brown came to our home to prepare this sumptuous spread. The Plantain and Bread Roll with Ackee puree and Salt Mackerel pate was a surprise for us, because normally I wouldn’t think of pairing these items but the combination really worked well and it turned out to be a dish we would definitely try again. In the end we could not have asked for a better
meal. I’m very happy that I have consistently been a customer of Best Dressed Chicken and was excited when I learnt of the promotion. I hoped that I would have been selected a winner but actually winning was better than I could ever imagine.� Take a look at the mouth watering menu Chef Colin Brown prepared for Samantha and her family:
Menu
Cream of Red Kidney Bean Soup with crusted stilton and cilantro oil Plantain and Bread Roll with ackee puree and salt mackerel pate
Best Dressed Chicken Roulade in coconut rundown, Dom Perignon champagne, annatto cream with white yam mash Poached Lobster in light coconut rundown, susumber, coriander, dill with creamy mash potato Glazed Ham with pineapple and coconut rundown Chutney with deep fried yam balls
Lobster Mousse with salmon caviar and champagne butter sauce
Blue Mountain Coffee Bread Pudding severed with a scotch bonnet scented honey caramel sauce with chocolate bavarian cream
Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese Ravioli with anchovi creme
Coconut and Fennel Rice Pudding with candied orange and tropical fruits
South Georgia Team
Farmers displaying Long Service Awards
Refrigerated mobile container
IPB on the rise! International Poultry Breeders was established on August 30, 1994 and has been producing the highest quality hatching eggs since then. Our main office is located in Norman Park, Georgia but our farms are located in both the South and North of the state. Our pullet and breeder operations consist of some of the most advanced black-out pullet and environmentally controlled production houses. Hatching eggs are collected, cleaned, graded and cooled to the optimal temperature and then boxed in 30 dozen cartons, palletized and transferred to our main cooling facility. Thereafter, they are loaded on an already cooled refrigerated container, also set 26
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at a specified shipping temperature and transported to our parent company in Jamaica and customers throughout the Caribbean and Canada. In 2012, IPB merged with our sister company Wincorp International Inc., and with their support revamped operations and set a much higher target for the operations. Since then, under the guidance of Mr. Stephen Levy, IPB has tripled production, thus initiating the expansion of the cooler at Norman Park. Our farmers play a major role in the success of IPB and last November they were honored at a luncheon in South Georgia. They can be seen in the photo
North Georgia Team
above (bottom left) displaying their awards for long service along with Mr. Syd Mogg, our Vice President (second from left). With a motivated, focused and committed group of dedicated employees, we will continue to strive to be disciplined and execute our strategies in achieving excellence for decades to come. At IPB, our belief is that a good pullet gives you a good breeder and a good breeder gives you a great egg. North Georgia Team (left to right) Andy Esco, Breeder Manager Warren Duncan, Flock Supervisor Scott Lester, Flock Supervisor Harley Bartlett, Flock Supervisor Missing are: Scott Moore, Vice President Production & Dave Neff, Business Development Manager
South Georgia Team (left to right) Jeremy Bailey, Trainee Tawnya Brown, Shipping Manager Oswaldo Hernandez, Cooler Assistant Dana Burgess, Jnr. Accounting Coordinator Casimira Garcia, Cooler Supervisor Simone Bailey, Trainee Deidre Hurley, Breeder Manager Pedro Powell, Operations Manager Hugo Garcia, Cooler Assistant Scotty Jones, Pullet Manager
JUNE 2014 Farmer of the Month Percival Williams & his team
BDC Celebrates FARMER OF THE MONTH At the beginning of financial the 2014-2015 year, The Best Dressed Chicken Field Department established the Farmer of the Month Competition; as a motivational tool. The competition is designed recognize our farmers for their hard work and outstanding performance. Each month a winner is determined using European Efficiency as the criteria. This is an objective, comprehensive criteria for rating a farm’s performance as it takes into consideration multiple factors including weight gained, Feed conversion and Livability. We want our winners to feel appreciated, so we make special effort to acknowledge each Farmer of the Month in more than one way: 28
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1. A very noticeable BDC sign placed at the front of the farm which says “Farmer of the Month”. 2. Pictures are taken of the farmer and his workers and these are shared with all other farmers via our Farmer of The Month Bulletin 3. The farmer is given a framed Certificate of Recognition signed by the Senior Vice President or the President 4. Each winning farmer is featured in a spread in the Central Jamaica News (and a copy is shared with each farmer).
NOVEMBER 2014 Farmer of the Month Winners Tranquility Farm
MAY & AUGUST 2014 Farmer of the Month General Manager Poutry Operations Live, Pamella Russell shakes hands with Long Pond Farm Limited Manager.
July 2014 Farmer of the Month Claudette Williams & her team
We recognize that farming is a team effort, therefore, we ensure that the farm workers are also acknowledged in the pictures and in the news spread. The workers also receive tokens bearing the Best Dressed Chicken brand, usually tee shirts and/ or caps. One of our outstanding farms since the start of the competition, Long Pond Farm Ltd., was twice our monthly winner. This farm was further rewarded with cash tokens given to the farm manager and workers. The farm was also featured a second time in a newspaper spread. In August 2014, we took the decision to acknowledge second place winners as well. We want to keep our farmers motivated; as a result, the Field Department is now in the process of
SEPTEMBER 2014 Farmer of the Month Rose Marie Samuels, poses with two BDC representatives
categorizing of our farmers as A, B or C farms. Our hope is that all our farmers will strive to be an “A� Category farm. When we ask the farmers about the reasons for their successes, aside from good husbandry practices and management, they invariably list the following factors: * Highly motivated staff * Good Biosecurity Practices * Solid Farm Security Systems * Clean/Impeccable Farm Environment * Dedicated Workers * Excellent support from the Field Team
GO TEAM JBG!
1 OUR winners
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Di Fambily a represent! (translation: The Family representing)
We had a whopping 250 persons registered for Team JBG this year at the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run. Congratulations to all our participants who made it to the finish with a special shout out to our staff competition winners! Excellent work team! Our photographers caught many running hard and stepping high; and others... well, just profiling! Flip through to see highlights of the day and remember to click the link in your email to view the complete album.
GO TEAM JBG!
Information here etc blaa blaa and so on about the touring of the
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Overall, we had fun and added to that, Nurse Simone Shirely reports improved health stats for the Group since our participation in the event. That’s a good reason to lace up those sneakers and start getting ready for the Everyone’s A Winner BDC 7K & 5K Races! Here’s to good health!
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