KC Class of 1980 donates $500,000 to school’s COVID-19 relief effort
REPRESENTATIVES of the Kingston College (KC) Class of 1980 on Wednesday presented $500,000 to their alma mater as an initial contribution to the school’s Fortis COVID-19 Relief Effort.
Principal Dave Myrie expressed profound gratitude to the group for responding so quickly and in such a tangible way. He shared with the group how challenged some of the students were in accessing the online delivery of teaching material and that the very dedicated teachers were seeking to provide for the boys in these trying times.
“Internet access and the availability of tablets and other necessary devices are a major focus for the school at this time as it is anticipated that the new form of teaching will be with us for a while,” he said.
The Class of 1980 group reassured Myrie and the school family of their unreserved commitment to assisting KC in the current crisis and in the future, and promised to return to school on an ongoing basis to play their part “in honour of our love for the college”.
The KC Old Boys’ Associations chapters worldwide launched the Fortis COVID-19 Relief Effort last month to assist the school in meeting the demands presented by the pandemic.
During an online event on April 30 looking at the impact of the crisis on families, the school, and the Fortis community, Myrie provided an update on the school’s response and shared the challenges. Among the immediate needs identified were computers to facilitate online learning for the boys who will now be relying almost totally on distance teaching and learning while schools remain officially closed.
Additionally, many students are not able to receive and utilise lessons consistently, given their lack of Internet access. Many boys rely on smartphones and data to get online and the cost to secure data is prohibitive.
The Class of 1980 decided that in light of the postponement of reunion celebrations, which were planned for this year, the group would make a financial donation from the collections of personal contributions and other donations from members of the group that were earmarked to cover some events during the reunion activities.
