NEGRIL, Westmoreland — On December 6 Wavz Beach Club, which has a track record of community work in Westmoreland, will add Wavz 5k Beach Trot to its already long list of events.

The trot is expected to fill a gap left since the popular Reggae Marathon is no longer being staged in Negril. The expectation is that the event will attract visitors eager to get discounts from local restaurants and bars throughout the weekend. DJ Absolute, reggae ambassador for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission in Negril, has embraced the beach trot as a “very good idea”. He is among those who praise the work Wavz Beach Club has been doing to strengthen the resort town.

Over the years planned activities have included Shock Wavz Volleyball Tournament, which is part of the annual jerk fest. The tournament then spawned another initiative.

“One of the big things that impressed on me was the influence that teachers have on the youths, especially in the volleyball community,” Rosa Young, proprietor of Wavz Beach Club shared with the Jamaica Observer.

“[This inspired me to start] the Wavz Youth Alliance. The aim is to involve different youth organisations from various places. The Wavz Youth Alliance will not only focus on volleyball, but rather anything to do with networking and helping our youth to be better participants in our society. We want to teach our youth how to fish. We don’t want to enable them and give them just a fish,” she explained.

Wavz Beach Club has also partnered with craft vendors who help train members of Wavz Youth Alliance. There will be workshops and mentorship programmes geared towards helping local youth become entrepreneurs and learn skills in customer service, marketing, and business management.

Other Wavz Beach Club projects include annual donkey races and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Negril. Through it all, there is one common goal.

“My main focus is youth development,” said Young. “Everything I do must include the development of youths, because that is the best way to grow Negril.”

The December 6 Wavz 5k Beach Trot will raise funds for St Anthony’s Kitchen. It began by providing soup only, but now offers wholesome meals to 150 persons each day. Most of them are students who live in Negril.