Sandals & Beaches Resorts on Friday launched a new sponsorship deal which will help youngsters in Jamaica learn more about the environment.

The ‘Champions for the Environment’ launch was held at Beaches Negril Resort and was endorsed by Asafa Powell, World 100m record holder, who happily signed autographs and took photos with his adoring young fans.

Private sector sponsors, WATA, FirstCaribbean International Bank, Bashco and National Commercial Bank, joined Sandals & Beaches Resorts to pledge approximately $10,000,000 over the next four to five years to the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), which will be used to revive JET’s islandwide Schools Environment Programme (SEP).

Sesame Workshop, partners of Beaches Resorts, also contributed to the initiative, with environmental ‘ambassador’ Grover making the presentation.

Launched in 1997, SEP is an environmental education programme with four elements – Garbage Management, Greening of School Grounds, Environment Club and Environmental Research.

In explaining Sandals’ role in this initiative, Patrick Lynch, a director of the all-inclusive resort chain, said, “Some time last year, I became aware that the JET Schools Environment Programme was in need of additional funding to continue its already scaled down effort or face being discontinued throughout the island. I was able to pull together a group of private sector companies, which, along with Sandals, are committed to providing sponsorship for this great project”.

Students from participating SEP schools in Westmoreland, including Churchill Primary, Sandy Bay Prep & Junior School, Negril All-Age and the Upper Rock Spring All-Age also attended, with Negril All-Age offering a well-executed skit on sustainable tourism.