The St Andrew Old Girls’ Association staged its annual fund-raiser, titled ‘A Work of Heart’, on Saturday, March 4 and used the occasion to recognise two outstanding past students — Olympian Vilma Charlton and Marie Cunningham-Clarke — who were both presented with the association’s Saint Award.

The event, held for the first time inside the school hall named in honour of former Principal Margaret Gartshore, was aimed at generating more funds to equip the hall with air-conditioning in furtherance of the renovation work done over the past two years by the school’s administration led by principal Sharon Reid.

The hall was built in 1952 under the leadership of Gartshore, the second and longest-serving principal. Since then it has served several generations of students — for devotion, drama, badminton, art and various productions — and remains the main assembly area for the girls.

The association says Gartshore Hall now needs air-conditioning to make it more marketable as an income-earner and to better serve its constituents. The cost of air conditioning the hall is estimated at $4 million and patrons at the event were given an opportunity to make contributions to this effort by completing and submitting pledge forms.

Association president Sally Carter welcomed and thanked the patrons for their support, while Principal Reid brought greetings and shared her continued desire to see the school continuing to take a holistic approach to education, and seeing to the complete development of students academically, spiritually and physically, with a focus on effective leadership.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Saint Award.

Inaugurated in 2012, the award recognises past students who contribute significant time and resources to the development and welfare of the school and students and who play a role in the wider society, demonstrate leadership, courage, dignity and respect for self and others. Recipients must also exemplify the spiritual and moral values taught at St Andrew High School.

Charlton attended St Andrew High between 1957 and 1962. She was the architect of the school’s 1962 Girls’ Champs victory, scoring 10 points in the 100 yards and 200 yards Class 2 sprint double. The following year, in Class 1, she again took the double.

She represented Jamaica at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics. Her accomplishments in the field of sports include serving as president of the Jamaica Olympic Association, third vice-president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, as well as an International Amateur Athletics Federation instructor. She is a member of the American Association of Physical Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance and has also accompanied several national teams to many events in a management capacity.

Cunningham-Clarke attended St Andrew High between 1954 and 1960. She spent most of her professional life in communications and music, with some of her posts being announcer at JBC TV, Jamaican coordinator for the British Royal Society of Music’s local examinations, and chief executive officer of the Creative Production and Training Centre (1999-2001).

She is a director and current president of the International Proxy Parents organisation in Jamaica, which raises funds to assist less fortunate children. In 2011, she started her children’s community music project to encourage more music-playing and choral-singing in primary schools. For this venture she teamed with New Providence Primary School in Barbican.

Cunningham-Clarke is co-founder and president of the St Andrew Old Girls’ Association UK Chapter. In 2005 she initiated the Leadership Development Programme for Sixth Formers, which she continues to coordinate. She introduced a speech competition called ‘Speak Up’ for Grades 7-10 students in 2014. Since 2008 she has served as a director of the St Andrew High School Foundation. She also served as the school’s operations manager for several years, retiring in 2013.