TREASURE BEACH, St Elizabeth — For the past six months the Treasure Beach Foundation, or BREDS as it is commonly called, has been working on a multi-million dollar school expansion project at the Sandy Bank Primary School in St Elizabeth.

As part of the project, a computer laboratory and two classrooms are to be constructed at the institution during the Yuletide season.

Recently, on World Volunteer Day, US ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, and her husband were at the school giving their time and effort to what has been described “a worthy project”.

Speaking to JIS News, Ambassador Cobb underlined the need for more Jamaicans to become involved in various voluntary activities that could help to uplift their communities and country.

“We have been coming out to Treasure Beach every now and then and have really grown to enjoy this community; we feel that there is a tremendous amount of pride here and good leadership,” she said “My husband has been very involved in education in the United States at different levels. When we met the principal of this school, and Jason Henzell who has been trying to help, we thought that we could be of help and so provided a little financial support to get the ball rolling.”

Ambassador Cobb indicated that significant help for the project had also come through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Tony Hart of the private sector from Montego Bay made a donation, the community came together as you can see from the turn-out today. Sunset Villa, as well as Tranquillity Bay, came in with some help (and) in my view it has been a tremendous public/private partnership,” she said.

She hoped that the Sandy Bank project would serve as a good example for other communities to follow.

“It is not that it takes a lot of money, it takes a lot of work and organisation and desire, but this is a tremendous facility and we are very proud that we are involved with it,” she said.