ST ANDREW, Jamaica— Shane Clarke, manager of the Red Hills United Football Club (RHUFC) has spearheaded a GoFundMe to raise US$15,000 to cushion the expenses associated with restoring the club, and its complex.

The club has been active for over 15 years, but experienced difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic. The club is pivotal in the development of young people in communities in the Red Hills area.

“Sports has been proven to be an outlet with various benefits, especially for community-based youths. They can showcase their talent, earn scholarships, instill discipline and structure while aiding in their overall development. Our GoFundMe is aimed at ensuring that we have the tools and funding necessary to continue using sports as a positive outlet for our players,” Clarke told Observer Online.

The money earned from donations will be used to provide nutritional support for the team, purchase gear for players as well as to help offset costs to take the team through the upcoming Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Major League season.

Clarke says the goal for the RHUFC is to win the Major League and move on to the KSAFA championship. They have their sights set on the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), thereafter.

Clarke added that he was motivated to rehabilitate the club after seeing the unacceptable conditions of the club’s home ground.

“It had been a while since I have been to the field (located in Belvedere, Red Hills, St Andrew) because work and life got in the way since I last represented the club in 2017. But, after driving by the complex in May 2022, I realised the state that it was in: the grass was actually taller than the goalposts (they are 8 feet tall) in some areas. The club was playing its home matches elsewhere. As a member of the club for several years, you feel a sense of pride and attachment, so I enlisted the help of my cousins and we got to work. We got donations for a lawn mower and after 12 weeks of constant cutting, we got it back to a playable surface,” he shared.

There is currently a team of eight people, six of whom volunteer their time and other resources for the betterment of the club.

Meanwhile, there are 35 players currently registered to play.

Since the quest for improvement has started, Clarke has received support from Member of Parliament Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn and corporate sponsors.