THE Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) will host a fund-raising and awards ceremony today at 5:30 pm at the Sir Alfred Sangster Auditorium of the University of Technology (UTech).

With the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) already underwriting the cost of airfares and Jamaica National Building Society pledging $1 million, the Federation needs a further $2.5m to send its Under-21 male and female teams to the Junior Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico on September 10-23. The budget to send the teams is $6m.

JHF President Leon Mitchell said the teams had been training since January and, along with the Federation, had so far executed five fund-raisers.

"We've been working very hard... Fund-raising events held to date were a fish fry in March, raffle of a computer donated by Net Soft Management Services, and we are now organising the JHF/UTech Dinner and Awards Ceremony," he explained.

"UTech has always been supportive of sports in Jamaica," Mitchell added, "and we're very grateful to Dr Colin Gyles, who was very responsive to our request for assistance, as this sponsorship will not only help us to raise the additional funds needed, but also give us the ability to show our appreciation to the many individuals and organisations who have helped to improve field hockey as well as its awareness in Jamaica."

Those to be honoured include the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Mike Fennell and Neville McCook, as well as the Federation's Carol Cuffley, Valerie Hall, Norris Davis, Donald James, Myrna Brown, the late Marguerite Cooke and Tony Burrowes.

Others to be recognised are Kingston Commissioners Club, Sports Development Foundation, Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association and the Inter-Secondary Schools' Sports Association, and Derrick Lyseight of Art & Fabric, and Dr Colin Gyles of UTech.

Members of the media will also be shown appreciation for the coverage of the sport, namely Lloyd Beckford of CVM TV, Jamaica Observer's Paul Burrowes, Courtney Seargeant formerly of RJR Group, Stratton Palmer of KLAS Sports, and Gleaner Company's Audley Boyd.