SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – The Manning’s School Alumni Football Foundation (MSAFF) has adjusted their mandate in light of the COVID 19 pandemic, which has caused the cancellation of sporting events across the country.

In light of this, the group was forced to cancel its annual football pre-season tournament, usually held in July to raise funds to assist the development of players, as well as the Manning’s School athletes.

Teams from various schools across the island have participated in the tournament, including Jamaica College, holders of the 2019 Manning Cup title, since its inception several years ago.

The pandemic has not only negatively impacted students across the island, but also their parents.

Many students, for example, lack the proper resources to conduct their online schooling, since the physical closure of educational facilities, while many parents have lost their jobs due to the closure and downgrading of many businesses.

To cushion the blow, the MSAFF recently distribution care packages to about 100 Manning’s School students, who are registered to the Under-14, Under-16 and the DaCosta Cup football teams.

The packages consisted of food items and phone credit, to assist with their online learning.

“It is important to reach out to the players at this time. A number of them have parents who have lost their jobs due to COVID. We just want to thank the football alumni, as we have been asking, and they are the only group that responded,” said Godfrey Drummond, the head coach of the Manning’s School football teams.

Eaton Bruce, head of Manning’s School’s sports department, shared similar sentiments. “It is a wonderful gesture on the part of the alumni in making this possible in this pandemic crisis. Every little support these players get will be welcomed,” said Bruce.

“It also helps to bring together people who may not have seen the value of the gesture, but who now see the need.”

He argued that the players will now know that they are not only representing the school locally, but also representing the extended school family based abroad.

“As one of our great headmasters, Mr Herbert Neita, use to say, ‘it is not what I can get from my school, but what my school can get from me,’ and this is what is being displayed by these past students. They are now giving back,” Bruce stressed.

He further stated that “this will also foster loyalty and bear good fruit as players who are benefiting from this initiative will continue the tradition in future.”

The foundation members comprised Manning’s alumni, the vast majority of who represented the school in football at some point during their tenure. The group initially started informally in 2005, and was formalised 10 years later with the mission to support the school by donating cash and kind to the sports department and student athletes.

Captain of the Manning’s School 2019 DaCosta Cup team, Javaughn Hines, thanked the alumni for the gesture.

“On behalf of the teams and the parents of these players, I cannot express enough thanks to these noble past students who were very considerate and came together in this global pandemic to provide us with essential products. I wish to extend my deepest thanks and gratitude to these virtuous individuals who we hold in high regards for the tremendous efforts they have made,” said Hines.

The organisation has over the years provided equipment for the various sports teams at the institution, as well as covered the cost of uniforms, tuition and examination fees for the football players. They have also assisted in covering the cost of feeding programmes for the footballers during each season.