Digicel and SDF launch track & field grant competition
THE track and field programmes of one school will have the chance to win US$10,000 from a Digicel, in collaboration with the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), school sports grant programme.
The grant will be awarded to one school to aid in the development of its existing track and field programme as part of a competition.
At the launch, which took place last Friday, the list of the 11 participating schools was announced. The schools where selected by the SDF based on their existing track and field programme, as well as their interest in the grant, and the needs of their existing programme.
The 11 schools participating are Jamaica College, Kingston College, Calabar High, Wolmers Boys, Munroe College, St Elizabeth Technical High, Holmwood Technical High, Edwin Allen High, St Jago High, Vere Technical and Manchester High schools.
SDF acting general manager, Major Desmon Brown, explained that the 11 schools were chosen from a group of schools that submitted ideas for projects. Each participating school presented their project to the SDF, which speaks to how the grant would be able to improve their existing programmes. The projects should lay out how funds would be used and how the school and athletes would benefit from the improvements.
“It was difficult to choose the schools because every school has a need, even the established ones. All the projects (that were presented) are worthwhile, so whoever wins is much deserved,” said Major Brown.
The competition’s winner will be selected based on public voting, which started on September 9 and will continue until September 27 when the winning school is announced. Voters can log on to the Digicel fanpage on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/digiceljamaica or by sending a text with your selected school to 284-9900.
“Digicel has always been aligned with youth development through our sponsorship with the schoolboy football and schoolgirl netball programmes. This initiative will amount to our support of athletics,” said Paula Pinnock-MacCleod, Digicel sports sponsorship manager.
“We wanted to have direct contact with the youth level of track and field and because of relationship with Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price, we thought that this was the best way to start,” she added.