By Cayman Compass contributor Christopher Tobutt
Sandbar in George Town eased into its cowboy boots on Friday night. At first, people arrived a little shy, collecting their cowboy hats and the bright bandanas handed out at the door – the kind of kerchiefs you’d expect to see on a ranch somewhere far from the waterfront. But as the sun dipped and the crowd grew the second annual ‘Give Cancer the Boot’ fundraiser began to warm up, and soon more than 300 people were laughing, learning and line dancing shoulder to shoulder.
Dave O’Driscoll, head of operations at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, watched the transformation with a grin. “The event is being put on by the Cancer Society, with title Sponsors White Cloud Accounting and Media Sponsors Rooster 101 and Z99. This is a fundraiser for our community programmes and it is also one of our biggest awareness events of the year.”
The turnout stunned even the organisers. “We’ve got a huge crowd – three times more than last year,” O’Driscoll said. “We’ve had over 300 people come through the door, and they’re all learning how to line dance – it’s great!”
The Boot, Scoot & Bougie ladies – Cristina, Elisha and Ella – took the stage and, with easy humour and clear steps, coaxed the crowd from hesitant grapevines into full blown routines. Shania Twain loosened everyone up; Brooks & Dunn carried them the rest of the way. Even the most reluctant dancers found themselves swept along, boots tapping, hats tipping, bandanas swinging.
O’Driscoll explained why the night mattered. Funds raised support the Cancer Society’s free screening voucher programme. “These funds help us encourage everybody to get screening at the appropriate age in their lives,” he said. “Cervical cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer – there are screenings available for all of these.”
And for anyone worried about cost, he was firm: “If you can’t afford it, or if your insurance doesn’t cover it, then we will cover it for you.” Ensuring people are screened at the right time, he added, “is so important”.
As the dancing paused, the crowd stepped back to make space for a burst of firelight. Among the fire dancers was Kyle Berry, one of several cancer survivors who came to support the night. Flames spun in bright yellow orange arcs as he spoke about what the Cancer Society had meant to him.
“I got diagnosed with cancer,” he said. “I had just moved to the Island, and I didn’t really have anything,” he said. “I showed up to the Cancer Society and they gave me the support I needed … They were a support system throughout the whole thing – for myself, and for my family.” With their help navigating insurance, his surgery was fully covered. “I am forever thankful for them,” he said.
The mechanical bucking bronco drew cheers all evening – some riders showing off with one arm in the air, others sliding off laughing. A photo booth captured the rest: hats, boots, bandanas, and big Cayman smiles.
By the end of the night, the shyness was long gone. People walked out still humming country tunes; their boots dusty, hats crooked, and you just knew that half of them were about to drive their Honda Fits and Accords home like they were 10-ton John Deere tractors.
Christopher Tobutt is a freelance journalist who has written for various publications in the Cayman Islands since 2003.
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