Cari-Med Limited, one of the leading distributors of consumer products, pharmaceuticals and hospital and medical equipment in Jamaica, has extended its sponsorship of the Jamaica College (JC) Manning Cup team this year to the tune of $460,000.

The partnership continues through their brands Ensure, JF Mills, Swiss and Old Spice. The sponsorship will cover the areas of nutrition and hygiene for the boys.

The company has had an association with the school, and in particular the football programme over the last few years which has been mutually beneficial which has led to a continuation into this season.

David Bonner, who is the brand manager for Old Spice and Ensure, is pleased with the relationship between the two entities which has led to an increase in the support from the company.

“Last year we continued the sponsorship with them and this year it is even bigger because we are partnering with them from the angle of hygiene and from the angle of nutrition. We have our Ensure nutritional drinks which the players already love and will take them through the season,” said Bonner.

Jamaica College has one of the largest schoolboy football programmes in the country, so the particular brand alignment is designed to assist the specific needs of the boys.

“We also have our JF Mills Foods and our Swiss products which will help with the feeding programme that they have and we also have Old Spice for hygiene to keep them fresh after a long day’s work- out or after matches,” Bonner continued.

“The relationship has been good over the years, last year JC won again, so we are continuing the winning relationship once again,” he added.

New head coach of the JC Manning Cup team Andrew Peart was happy that the relationship with Cari-Med is continuing.

“Cari-Med is one of Jamaica’s biggest distributors and Jamaica College is the top school in the Manning Cup and top school in schoolboy football, so the partnership is great to continue,” he noted.

Peart pointed to the areas of the programme that will benefit in particular.

“It is one that has benefited us over the years in terms of meal and of course the funds help us to continue to progress the programme, so the players are the ones who will benefit the most from this and they will be very grateful as well,” said the JC coach.

As part of the sponsorship deal, Cari-Med will be branding the football field with perimeter boards for the 2018/19 school year, placing feather banners for the respective brands during home matches and setting up booths for product sampling and other activities at selected home matches. Additionally, there will be branding on the front of the warm-up gears of the Manning Cup team.

— Dwayne Richards