Event organisers, including lead personality, the former West Indies fast bowler Mr Daren Powell, were left stunned by the success of last year’s Twenty20 cricket festival in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.

Reports say thousands of people, not just from St Elizabeth but from across Jamaica and overseas, found their way to BREDS Sports Park in the remote south coast village which is a standard-bearer for Jamaica’s community tourism product.

Most of all, they came to see West Indies cricket legends Messrs Brian Lara and Chris Gayle in action.

“[T]o see the turnout was spectacular, it looks like the entire parish came out…” Mr Lara was reported as telling reporters after the on-field excitement.

And an equally admiring Mr Gayle said: “I haven’t seen this [size] crowd in a long time, especially here in Jamaica… It goes to show that people still love cricket…”

All of which is why Mr Powell and the Treasure Beach community have again invested in a cricket festival to take place on Sunday at the sports park in Treasure Beach.

There are undeniable distractions with political campaigning now heavy on the ground ahead of the February 26 Local Government Elections.

However, locals insist that the prospects are good and that the level of organisation is well in advance of last year.

In a real sense, the upcoming event is the outgrowth of remarkable community action that should be an example to all Jamaicans at home and abroad.

In the first place, unified community action with strong, thoughtful leadership transformed a cluster of fishing villages into what’s now a much-prized home away from home for visitors.

That approach gave birth to the citizens group BREDS, which has led to such progressive initiatives as construction of the venue for Sunday’s event.

The story of the sports park is inspiring by itself.

Recognising the need for a dedicated sports facility in Treasure Beach, local transportation entrepreneur Mr Darin James, whose family had previously owned the property, proposed to community leadership that it should be acquired and developed.

Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Western and Cabinet member the late Mr Donald Buchanan acted promptly in response to the community’s lobbying to secure a long-term lease arrangement which gave BREDS the authority to act.

Down the years, local hotelier and community leader Mr Jason Henzell has been pivotal, utilising his immense organisational and promotional talents to raise tens of millions of dollars to develop a high-class facility which accommodates cricket and a range of other sports, including football, track and field, netball, basketball, tennis, and swimming. A well-appointed pavilion with all the amenities is a centre piece.

Support has come from a wide array of companies, agencies, and individuals.

Mr Henzell tells us that events such as that planned for Sunday and last year’s triumphant inauguration demonstrate that “sports tourism is viable” and that much can be achieved through “partnerships and collaboration”.

Said Mr Henzell: “BREDS worked with the [St Elizabeth] Parish Development Committee to create a sports tourism strategy 15 years ago. The events we stage are targeted and deliberate in our overall mission of community development and making Treasure Beach a model for community-based tourism.”

Wider Jamaica should watch closely and learn.