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March 24, 2007

HEALTHY ENCORES
USVI MUSIC FESTIVAL

By: ms.cyntje
From Our Mar - Apr 2007 Issue

Lorraine “Lolo” Milliner began her career in radio twenty-three years ago when she landed a job on WSTA’s graveyard shift.  Now she works for Kathy Hughes Radio One and has a top rated radio show in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Wanting to increase the visibility and improve the economy of the Virgin Islands, Lolo decided to start the USVI Music Festival back in 2001.  She chose the summer time because she noticed how tourism revenue would decline during that time of the year.  But it wasn’t until after her father died shortly after he was diagnosed with Diabetes that she saw the need to add a health component to the festival.  

Healthy Encores and the USVI Music Festival give participants a weekend full of entertainment while spreading health awareness.   Last year’s festival included workshops on the prevention and treatment of Diabetes.  It also had various test sites in place for persons in the community to get tested as they enjoyed the other “edutainment” during the Health Empowerment Day.