Charity: Shaggy and Friends hit the "C-Note"

The good news is "we made it"

So said a beaming superstar Shaggy on Thursday in announcing that the charity concert in aid of Kingston's Bustamante Children's Hospital (Jan 6) had indeed hit the stated target of J$100 million.

But Shaggy, who was pressed for time, owing to an impending  flight to the US (having only recently jetted into the island following his triumphant Grammy Awards performance alongside Sting) was not all smiles.

"The bad news is expenses totalled $50million" he added before stating that additional contributions from corporate and private donors, at home and overseas, had pushed to overall total back to the 100 million mark.

"This word charity, is a serious word," he opined in referring to the bill to put on the grand show, making reference to several Government agencies which had in fact stuck the organization with invoices for their various support services. "This is a GOVERNMENT institution, a hospital that we are supporting in order to help ease the burden, so we'd appreciate a little more understanding and support from Government."

Shaggy also used the occasion to repeat a plea for land space from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), whose  Up Park Camp headquarters is adjacent to the hospital and indeed, on whose land the existing hospital facility - initially viewed as "temporary" - in fact sits. There is a need for land space to properly expand the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which the focus of this year's charity efforts.

The entertainer also gave a financial overview of the revenue sources and amounts to the organization, emphasizing the voluntary nature of the main team (who gathered behind the ceremonial cheque) and the dedication to transparency and accountability.