SEVERAL business operators, vendors, and volunteers are today grateful to GraceKennedy for being given the opportunity to spread their wings at the just-concluded Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

The annual event, affectionately called Champs, ran from Tuesday through to Saturday night, and according to KER Marketplace CEO Lincoln Robinson, there was no way he was going to say no to GraceKennedy when they offered him a chance to share in profits this year by selling food at the well-attended event.

It was also his first time attending Champs.

“We operate a food truck in Montego Bay, [St James], six days a week [and] we’ve been doing food for the past 10 years. We are an event production and food services company located by Barnett Tech Park in Montego Bay. GraceKennedy reached out to us because we have been doing business with them for the past three years.

“Grace asked if we were interested in coming up to Kingston to operate two food spots at Champs and, without a doubt, we said yes. We couldn’t say no. Grace looks out for our company and has been working with us effortlessly.

“Grace always provides a level of support to ensure KER and its customers are well supported, whether we need ketchup, bacon, and frankfurters, whatever the case is, Grace gives us full support, even with Catherine’s Peak and their jerk seasoning,” Robinson told the Jamaica Observer on Friday, pointing out that the experience at Champs had been very good.

He shared that GraceKennedy ensured that he and his team received adequate information and training, which allowed them to deliver and not “flop”, especially on Saturday when the grandstand at the National Stadium is usually packed with spectators.

“I personally decided to use my team from Montego Bay because I believe I have one of the best teams. I brought up nine staff from Montego Bay; nine people and their families at the end of the day will benefit from this experience, thanks to Grace and thanks to the entire Champs team as well. It’s a blessing, and I look forward to coming back next year,” said Robinson.

The founder of Barnhill Organics Supplies Limited, Kellye Jean Barnaby, was also happy to bounce back into business.

Barnhill started supplying health-conscious people with coconut water that has no preservatives from as far back as 2014. Since then the business has experienced many challenges, but determined not to go under, she used this year’s staging of Champs to bounce back.

“Champs is an amazing platform for everybody. It gives small business owners like me a chance to relaunch a brand and endorse health and wellness,” she told the Sunday Observer. “Coconut water is great and has a lot of benefits, so we said why not. It’s very hot here, obviously there are a lot of athletes and people that are into sports and healthy lifestyle, so why not be here to sell it?” said Barnaby.

She shared that prior to starting the business, she’d recognised that there was a void in not having coconut water without preservatives on the market.

“We were in stores islandwide but we just scaled back a bit. The company started in 2014 and things were going great up until the point when we decided to scale back a little after the COVID-19 pandemic. That was because we had some issues in terms of getting raw materials; there was a little shift when the nuts weren’t coming in with a lot of water so we scaled back just a bit.

“Last year we re-emerged at preparatory [school] champs, but something happened after that where I had to stop. I decided I would rebrand again with Champs. This is a big event, everybody comes here — from the young to the old,” she said.

Meanwhile, shrimp vendor Karen Douglas said her presence at Champs this year served two purposes — to cheer on her friend’s son who competed and to help her mother sell as many peppered shrimp as possible.

“My mother always sells shrimp every year, this is my first time doing it. I decided to come this year because my friend’s son is running for Calabar and I wanted to come and sell shrimps with Mommy, and it’s working out. I have been here from Tuesday and I have been selling a lot of shrimps and in-between sales I watch the races,” she said.

Champs did not only provide value to vendors and entrepreneurs, but young volunteers as well.

The Sunday Observer caught up with two teenagers who were part of the team of volunteers that helped to get things in place on the track in-between races. Jowell Joseph said that it was his first time working at Champs and described the experience as enjoyable.

“I am a part of the hurdles crew that sets out the hurdles for the races. It’s not that hard. We just have to follow instructions we get from the bigger heads and things work fine. I have learned a lot from working on the track,” he said.

His friend, Bravain Bell, explained that the experience was good for him because it was his first time operating alongside so many people from different backgrounds in a work setting. Based on what he learned, the youngster believes that the knowledge could help him in knowing what to do if he decides to start his own business in the future.

“It’s a good learning experience for me because I haven’t really been in the work field as yet. I took the opportunity to learn how to operate with others in a business setting and we learnt the art of organisation. We get to see the inner workings of the whole thing and we see how the organisers put things together so that the events can happen how they should. This can help me with starting a business in the future.

“Champs allows you to network and connect with other people, and it shows you how two or more entities can come together and make one big event,” Bravain said.

Shrimp vendor Karen Douglas at Champs 2025. (Photo: Jason Cross)

Volunteers Jowell Joseph (left) and Bravain Bell pause for a photo at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. (Photo: Jason Cross)