HALSE HALL, Clarendon – It was all about fun and fitness as Jamalco employees from across the company’s operations descended on the grounds of the Jamalco Employees’ Sports Club for the annual Jamalcoans in Motion (JIM) charity event held recently.

A news release said the activity, which is used primarily as a charity fitness fund-raiser, took the form of a sports day in which employees of the bauxite/alumina company participated in activities such as a lapathon (run/walk), sack, lime and spoon and maths races, flip-the-tyre relays, and aerobics marathon.

The JIM event was geared towards raising funds to assist with upgrading the sanitary facilities at John Austin All-Age School located in Pennants, Clarendon. The participation of the employees secured a grant valued at J$180,000 to assist the school.

Managing director at Jamalco, Austin Mooney, encouraged team members to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. “Jamalcoans in Motion is a great activity which is aligned to our EHS (Environment Health and Saftey) goals of promoting health and wellness, as well as our goal of giving back to the communities in which we operate,” said Mooney.

The school, which was nominated for the grant by Jamalco employee, Glossim Jones, secured the majority of the votes from the company’s employees who were asked to participate in the process to select this year’s JIM grant awardee.

Jones explained that she was moved to seek help for the institution because of its dire needs. The school, which has a population of 126 students, has faced numerous setbacks in trying to construct better sanitary facilities for its students.

“The students are still using the pit latrine in an old dilapidated building because efforts to construct a proper facility have been thwarted by lack of funds and vandalism,” she said.