Jamaica’s 100m world champion Oblique Seville has donated $500,000 towards the United Way Jamaica Restoration and Rehabilitation Fund to primarily assist farming communities impacted by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Seville joined a host of private sector donors who have contributed to the charity group’s United Way Restoration Fund, which was launched at the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) office on Tuesday with a $1.5 million donation from the lobby group.

United Way also revealed it received $21 million from its parent company, United Way International.

The United Way Restoration Fund is an initiative to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery and rehabilitation support to communities affected by disasters, with a particular emphasis on the agricultural sector.

The 24-year-old Seville, whose parents are farmers, said he could not resist jumping on board.

“Agriculture is what I am brought up on. For me with my parents and everything, it is actually what built me and I see how hard it is to do agriculture and sometimes farmers do give back. So for me to give back it is something special,” said Seville, who was dapperly dressed in a black suit with a white shirt.

He added that, “As athletes, our nutrition has to be on par and for me, that is what brought me, so I’m glad to give back to the country.”