The Northern Region office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) celebrated this year’s National Chocolate Day with the children’s ward of St. Lucy Catholic Hospital at Sagnerigu Municipality.
This year’s Chocolate Day was marked on February 14 with the theme ‘Eat chocolate, stay healthy and grow Ghana’. The Day is used to promote consumption of made in Ghana chocolate. As part of celebratory activities, the regional office donated boxes of chocolate, cartons of beverages, carbonated drinks and some toiletries to the ward. The chocolates were distributed to children within the ward while the other items were handed over to staff for sharing among the children.
The Day was also to create awareness on the need for Ghanaians to appreciate the health benefits of chocolate and cocoa-related products.
Speaking at the donation ceremony, Regional Director Angelo Yossi Dogbe said National Chocolate Day was instituted to promote the production, patronage and consumption of local chocolate.
“As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we thought it wise to promote locally produced chocolate and cocoa-related products; hence we are here today to support the children, parents and staff of the hospital with these products,” he said.
According to him, creating awareness around Chocolate Day alone is a vehicle to promote domestic tourism. He added that the more people patronise locally made chocolates and products, the stronger the economy becomes.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dogbe said the Authority is serious about promoting the region’s tourism potential to attract more tourists and investors to help grow the economy.
The Nurse Manager and Matron of the hospital, Sister Mary Assunta, commended GTA for extending support to the children’s ward of the hospital during the month of love – saying the items will put smiles on the children’s faces.
“Children love chocolate, and the items will provide them with much-needed nutrients,” she said.
The Hospital Administrator, Reynolds Awuah, appealed for other bodies to emulate the GTA’s gesture by coming to the facility’s aid.
