GraceKennedy continued its commitment to ISSA’s track and field programme with the launch of the “From Champs to Penn” programme, which will cost a cool US$12,000 (J$1.2m) in cash and kind to help send schools to the relays set for April 25-27 at the University of Pennsylvania.

The press briefing which saw GraceKennedy throwing its support behind Team Jamaica Bickle, also served as Champs Awards ceremony, where the top athletes from each class were presented with their trophies.

Anthony Lawrence, Global Brand manager, GKMS, revealed that his organisation — one of the official sponsors of Penn Relays — said that Grace follows the Jamaican diaspora.

Lawrence took time out to talk about Grace’s ongoing sponsorship of the Penn Relays through its GraceFoods International.

“Our signage is inside the field, you see our branding outside at the different gates, and when you drive through the city of Pennsylvania in the area of the university, you see our bottles,” said Lawrence.

He continued: “It’s very expensive, but it is money well spent because we are doing it as an extension of what Jamaica and GraceKennedy are.

“If it is good for Jamaica, it is good for GraceKennedy. We are in it for the long haul, we are supporting team Jamaica. We are expanding beyond the shores of Jamaica and to develop new products to sell into new markets,” he noted.

Meanwhile, senior vice-president GKMS Noel Greenland spoke of Western Union’s involvement in that every time someone sends money through that agency, the children in Jamaica will benefit in the long run.

“Over 80 per cent of the audience at Penn Relays, believe it or not, are Jamaicans. Jamaicans travel from right across the length and breadth of the United States to go to Penn Relays every year. At the end of the day, the flag of Jamaica will and must fly high. Jamaica is the ultimate winner,” Greenland noted.

Meanwhile, the various class champions from the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field Championships were presented with their trophies, as follows: Delano Williams (Munro College), Fedrick Dacres (Calabar High), and Clive Pullen (Kingston College) were the joint Class One champions; Calabar’s Michael O’Hara was the Class Two champion, with KC’s Jhevaughn Matherson the Class Three champion.

In the girls’ section, Vere Technical’s Shericka Jackson was the Class One champion, with Joneil Smith of Wolmer’s Girls and Rochelle Frazer of Edwin Allen sharing the Class Two honours.

Rushelle Burton of St Andrew High was the Class Three champion, with Kimone Shaw of St Jago High, the Class Four champion.

Overall, O’Hara was the boys’ champion, and Gleneve Grange of Holmwood Technical was the girls’ champion.