North American chapters of the Wolmer’s high schools for boys and girls have called on famous past students to boost its COVID-19 Fund-raising Drive to assist students with online learning.

Students at the Kingston institutions have been studying online for the last three months due to government guidelines.

Entertainers Sean Paul and Wayne Marshall, double Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, and actor/playwright David Heron are some of the past students who have, or will, voice and appear in public service announcements promoting the initiative.

The drive is spearheaded by the Wolmer’s overseas alumni associations in Florida, Atlanta, New York, and Toronto, Canada.

Phillip Reid, a member of the New York chapter of the Wolmer’s overseas alumni, said the funds raised will help source Internet access for students studying remotely.

“Once the COVID-19 pandemic was upon us and schools across Jamaica closed to transition to online learning, we became aware that at both the boys’ and girls’ schools, there were many students who were adversely affected. In some cases they lacked the actual devices to access online teaching, and in other instances they had the devices but could not afford to purchase the very expensive data plans that they would need to use their devices. So the overseas alumni associations came together to see how we could assist the local efforts of both schools in Jamaica, and this is the result,” he explained.

Heron, who is based in New York, was approached by Reid to help assemble the celebrity past students.

“I was extremely happy to do this for Wolmer’s once Phillip contacted me. And when we discussed a strategy for getting the word out to as many people as possible, we felt that asking some of our most renowned Wolmerians to do radio commercials and social media videos promoting the cause would be the best way to go. And I’m pleased to say that everyone we approached has stepped up tremendously,” said Heron.

He and Fraser Pryce have already recorded radio commercials which have aired in New York and Florida. Heron, Sean Paul, Wayne Marshall, stylist Norma Williams, and hurdler Jaheel Hyde will feature in soon-to-be taped videos for social media.

Englishman John Wolmer founded the Wolmer’s schools 291 years ago. Located in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, it is the second oldest school in the English-speaking Caribbean.

One of the country’s elite institutions, Wolmer’s past students also include former Jamaica Prime Minister Edward Seaga, West Indian batsman Alan Rae, and singer Diana King.

Donations to the Wolmer’s COVID-19 Fund-raising Drive can be made at www.wolmersdonations.org. Further information is available at wolmersdonations.org/smile, or by calling 1-888 WOLMERS.