Luis Palau Wraps Final Weekend of 3-City Jamaican Festival

Contact: Craig Chastain, Luis Palau Association, 503-614-1554

KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- One of the most ambitious and innovative outreaches ever staged in the Caribbean wrapped Sunday night on the grounds of King's House in Kingston, Jamaica as "Best Dressed 50Fest" closed with raucous Jamaican music and a Gospel message from world evangelist Luis Palau.

Underwritten by the Jamaican Broilers Group as the centerpiece for their 50th anniversary celebration, 50Fest partnered with the Luis Palau Association and numerous Christian ministries to bring free, family-friendly festivals to 3 Jamaican cities: Mandeville, Montego Bay and Kingston. The festivals featured both Jamaican and international gospel musicians including TobyMac, Israel and New Breed, Papa San, Carlene Davis and DJ Nicholas as well as children’s activities and extreme sports performed by the Livin It® Action Sports Team.

Evangelism was at the heart of the celebrations, with Luis Palau speaking in Kingston, his son Andrew in Mandeville, and San-Diego based evangelist Miles McPherson in Montego Bay. Well over 10,000 decisions to follow Christ were collected during ten days of activities that also included gatherings for women and for business and civic leaders. Estimates for crowd attendance were 37,000 in Mandeville, 75,000 in Montego Bay and 150,000 in Kingston.

Ministries from the United States - including Palau's Next Generation Alliance and Livin It teams, McPherson's Miles Ahead, and Delta Ministries - brought hundreds of volunteers and thousands of dollars in medical and building supplies for community services in some of the island's most desperate neighborhoods. Presentations were made at 75 schools and a number of senior centers and children's homes; more than a dozen free medical and dental clinics were offered; repairs and renovations to schools, parks and community centers were implemented across Jamaica.

Jamaican Broilers president and CEO Robert Levy hosted Luis Palau at events leading up to the Kingston festival, including meetings with the ambassadors from Argentina and Spain; the Prime Minister and Governor General; members of Parliament; and the Mayor of Kingston. Palau also met with leaders from an umbrella group of diverse Jamaican churches that provided supported during the preparations for 50Fest.

"Jamaica is blessed that a company like Jamaican Broilers is willing to finance a Christian outreach like 50Fest," said Palau. "Robert Levy and Broilers have demonstrated that a company run on Christian principles and strengthened by faith can be successful. What a great way to say 'Thank You Jamaica.'"