SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Athletes of Aberdeen Primary and Junior High School got a boost from past students, hours before their district association track & field championships at Appleton in the parish, recently.

The past students’ association, represented by secretary Lauradene Brooks-Fisher, who also teaches at the school, handed over gear – spikes, running tops, shorts, tights, and sports drinks – worth close to $200,000 to sport coordinator and vice-principal Donna Smith.

She also handed over a book on 100 years of world track and field, put together by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Several members of the team also took part in the presentation.

A news release from the association said Smith, on behalf of the school community, thanked the past students, while adding “what has been done here today is a big boost for us going forward”.

Brooks-Fisher said this is just the start of what is to come in the future. “We saw the need for help and thus went about to beg and got several items from loving Jamaicans,” she said.

She thanked Cynthia Cooke, Garth Gayle, Marie Tavares, Alfred Francis, Tanya Lee, Yohan Blake and Ricky Martin, sales and promotions officer at Hi-Lyte for their contribution to the cause.

Brooks-Fisher said support from other past students was crucial in the journey to make the school stronger in academics and sports. She said more information about the past students’ association can be found at facebook.com/aberdeenpsa or by e-mailing aberdeenpsa@gmail.com.

The school finished second at the track meet behind Siloah and several athletes took part in last week’s parish championships at Alpart Sports Club in search of a place at the national level next month.