For the eighth year, Grennell’s Driving School will host its annual Road Safety 5K on Saturday, November 17.

Starting at 6:00 am at its head offices on Mona Road, the race will also be in memory of road safety ambassador Falasha Fitz-Henley who succumbed to injuries in 2017, nine years after being involved in a motor vehicle collision.

“Despite the life-changing incident, Falasha used her experience to tell people why they need to use the road safely and why speeding motorists need to take their time and ensure that what happened to her doesn’t happen to other people,” noted Alphonso Grennell, managing director of Grennell’s Driving School.

“She was more than a road safety ambassador, she was family; and we hope that persons who were moved by her story and advocacy will come out and walk or run in her memory,” Grennell shared.

The 5K comes timely ahead of the United Nations’ World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, scheduled for the third Sunday in November each year. The major focus of this year’s 5K is to shed much-needed light on the devastating impacts caused by motor vehicle crashes, and their consequences on individuals, families and the country at large.

Sharing similar sentiments, Salada Foods Jamaica has endorsed the event with a hot beverage sponsorship through its flagship brand, Jamaica Mountain Peak.

“This is our second year sponsoring the run and our third road safety event,” highlighted Tamii Brown, commercial and corporate affairs manager at Salada Foods Jamaica. “We came on board because road safety affects every Jamaican. The hospitals in key towns have cited a reduction of gun-related patients, yet trauma from road collisions continue to rise.

“Initiatives such as Grennell’s Road Safety Expo, which we sponsored in June this year, and the upcoming run are a step in the right direction. If we can educate each Jamaican of their role in road safety, the expectation is that we can finally start a downward trend,” concluded Brown.

With the Christmas season around the corner, the road safety 5K is opportune in its efforts to keep the road fatalities number, now at an alarming 286, below 300 for the rest of the year.

Proceeds from the 5K will offset costs associated with the Accident and Emergency Unit at Percy Junor Hospital in Manchester.

Participants will also get a chance to walk away with a two-burner gas range and vouchers courtesy of IGL.

Grennell looks forward to achieving greater success for the run this year.

“This year we anticipate more participants and we are very optimistic we will be able to contribute between $100,000 and $200,000 to the hospital,” Grennell said.

Participants are being encouraged to come out wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of the person in whose honour they will be walking/running, or support the cause by purchasing a 5K T-shirt valued at $500.

To register, the costs are: adults $1,000 and children under 12, $500. Special group and company rates can be acquired at grennells@cwjamaica.com or call 876-770-8586.