CELEBRATING its 34th anniversary as a charitable event, the 2015 Bob Marley One Love Football Extravaganza and Fun Day will continue to donate proceeds to basic schools and children’s homes across the island.

The Ash Wednesday (February 18) event at the Harbour View Mini Stadium, which will see Entertainers, Masters and Celebrities, Referees and Tuff Gong Invitational teams facing off in football matches, was launched at a press conference held at Cuddyz Sports Bar and Restaurant in New Kingston yesterday.

For the first time, the Tuff Gong Invitational team will face off with Entertainers for the new Bob Marley One Love Trophy, which was designed by Cedella Marley, daughter of the late reggae icon.

The matches, which have been played since 1982 and have been a feature of Black History Month, will honour three stalwarts in the music industry who have contributed to the development of reggae music, both nationally and internationally. They are the late Lincoln ‘Sugar’ Minott, Winston ‘Burning Spear’ Rodney and Max Romeo.

Benjamin Simms, Digicel’s advertising executive, one of three co-main sponsors for the event, said that his company’s continued involvement with the Bob Marley One Love Football Extravaganza was never in doubt.

“‘Football is freedom, a whole universe. Me love it because you have to be skilful to play it. These are the words of the legend Bob Marley, who loved football like life itself.

“In fact, Bob Marley loved football so much that it had to be a part of his touring contracts for him to have ready access to a football pitch. So we simply could not be celebrating this great icon and not have a football competition in his honour.

“As a brand, Digicel recognises the power of the sport and we are committed to develop the talent that exists within Jamaica. Therefore, Digicel is proud to be a part of this event as it represents the very same thing our brand stands for — which is finding and celebrating the extraordinary in all of us,” Simms told the Jamaica Observer.

Simms also said that in addition to his company’s overall sponsorship, Digicel, in its fifth year of sponsoring the event, has committed a total of 1,500 Bob Marley exercise books to go towards basic schools (Albert Street, Portsmouth and Ferry).

Alicia Williams, foundation relation manager at the Bob Marley Foundation, another of the co-main sponsors, said that her company was pleased to be on board for the event.

“It is with great pleasure that the Robert Nesta Marley Foundation be one of the main sponsors to be on board with other sponsors to celebrate the legend, Bob Marley, himself. We acknowledge the hard work organisers put in organising this event and we thank them for it,” said Williams.

The other main sponsor is the RJR Communication Group.

Event organiser Clive ‘Busy’ Campbell, whose organisation has done tremendous charity work with a number of schools benefiting from the One Love Bob Marley games, thanked all sponsors for their continued support.

“This year, the Creator smiled on us. Ash Wednesday falls in February which has been designated Reggae Month, and also the month of the ‘earth-day’ of the ‘Gong’, the Honourable Robert Nesta Marley.

“I thank all sponsors for coming on board again as, without their support, we would not have been able to stage this event for the past 34 years,” he said.

Admission will be $200 for adults and $100 for children. The activities are scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm.

Among the celebrities attending this year are I-Octane, Sizzla, Aidonia, Wayne Marshall, Walter ‘Blacka’ Boyd, Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner, Jermaine Hue and Wickaman.

Other sponsors of the event are Western Sports, Cuddyz, Wisynco, News Talk, Power 106, KLAS and the Jamaica Observer.