NEWLY-FORMED Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF), in conjunction with parent company Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), yesterday launched its ‘Go for Gold’ promotion — a fundraising raffle aimed at supporting Jamaica’s team to the 2012 London Olympics.

SVF chairman Dr David McBean made the announcement at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

He said the raffle, set to run for five weeks, will help to raise some $30m for the country’s Olympic team.

“This is the first real initiative of the SVF (and) it will help to prepare the athletes for the upcoming Olympics, showcase their talent in the Supreme Ventures/Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships in June, and contribute to the Jamaica Olympic Association’s (JOA) efforts for our team to compete in the games,”McBean noted.

“We are, therefore, appealing to Jamaicans to support the ‘Go for Gold’ raffle and play your part in helping the athletes. This will help to build a lasting legacy for the JAAA and help to build brand Jamaica,” he added.

The raffle, said to be “the first of its kind in Jamaica”, will run from Monday, April 23, to Saturday, May 26, 2012, with tickets costing $300 at any Supreme Ventures Agent location island-wide every day of the week.

‘Go for Gold’ participants will win over 400 prizes during the five-week period, including Gold Medal Prize packages of seven all-expense paid trips (for two person each) to the London Games.

Each Gold Medal package will include hotel accommodation from August 7-13, tickets to events, including the semi-final and finals of the 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m, plus £500 in spending money.

The Silver Medal category will be awarded to 35 persons and consists of 46-inch LCD television sets and home theatre systems, plus $100,000.

Sixty-three persons will be awarded the Bronze Medal package, which consists of 40-inch LCD television sets and $50,000 each. There are also subsidiary prizes for fourth and fifth-place winners.

“We are very proud of what we are doing,” SVL president and CEO Brian George told the gathering.

“The raffle will be the pioneer in online/real time raffles in Jamaica and it will utalise the lottery network and software capabilities of our technology partner — GTECH Jamaica.

“There will be five raffle books available for sale over the five-week period of the fundraiser,” George added.

“Therefore, each week a new book will be available for sale with a finite number of tickets numbered sequentially.”

The raffle will be drawn on the Wednesday following the close of sale each week.

Meanwhile, JOA president Mike Fennell and JAA counterpart Dr Warren Blake lauded Supreme Ventures for its continued support, while imploring the public to support the ‘Go for Gold’ promotion.

“Just saying simply thanks is not good. This is a fantastic (project); Supreme Ventures has come up with a winner,” Fennell said.

“It’s a very imaginative programme and I don’t know anyone, even those who would say they don’t gamble, that will not want to participate.”

Blake added: “It’s really no surprise to us at the JAAA because Supreme Ventures Limited has been supporting at different levels for quite a while now, but it’s particularly pleasing that in the time of the Olympics, Supreme Ventures Foundation has launched this venture to help the athletes.”