TELECOMMUNICATION giants LIME has thrown its support behind 18 local schools with a $1.8m sponsorship package to assist with their Penn Relays expenses between April 25 and 27.

The 119th relay carnival at Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania — one of the oldest universities in America and a member of the Ivy League — will see a host of Jamaican schools participating; and as they have been doing for the last 21 years, LIME Foundation is again providing well needed assistance.

Errol Miller, chairman of the LIME Foundation, said last year they donated $2m and that figure is down because only 18 schools requested help compared to the 20 last year.

“Every school that makes a request to us every year gets assistance. We do not discriminate, everybody gets the same amount,” Miller pointed out.

“LIME always supports sports because we believe that it is important on many levels, but particularly as a vehicle for youth development,” he added.

“We remind all our student athletes to always remember that while you give all to your sporting careers the best that you can, you cannot neglect your academics. You must aim to be as good in your studies as you are in your sports,” said Miller.

“We remind you also that when you go to Penn, the eyes of the world will be on you and with the instant global reach of today’s media, every word, every action is transmitted around the world,” he noted.

The 18 schools that will benefit are Calabar High, Kingston College, Holmwood Technical, Wolmer’s, Ardenne, St Hugh’s, Vere Technical, GC Foster, St Jago, Edwin Allen, Alpha Academy, Jamaica College, Manchester High, St Andrew High, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), Herbert Morrison, Munro College and the University of Technology (UTech).

The schools will also be provided with Just Talk phone cards ranging from 400 minutes to 1,500 minutes, to keep in touch with family and friends in Jamaica.

“LIME is making sure that you can stay in touch with your friends and families while you are away,” said Miller to loud applause.

Meanwhile, LIME ambassador, former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell was on hand to help send off the athletes, and he delivered a brief motivational speech.

“In my days at school, if I was to go to the Penn Relays it would be just me running the four legs. I was not so privileged like you guys,” said Powell, a past student of Charlemont High, not known for their track and field prowess.

“You can’t really support only the senior athletes, you have to start from scratch, that’s where the new stars start from, motivating them and that’s what LIME is doing right now and that’s very commendable,” said Powell.

“It’s very exciting, it’s like Champs again because all you see in the stadium are excited Jamaicans cheering for the athletes. That’s what they are there for, to support the high school students and the senior athletes. It still feels like Champs,” said the injured Powell, who will miss this year’s Penn Relays.