OVERWHELMED by emotion and filled with gratitude, beneficiary school leaders say the outpouring of national support through the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run — which saw more than 30,000 participants contributing to the more than $152 million raised this year — has brought even more hope and relief after Hurricane Melissa left their western Jamaica institutions badly damaged.

For administrators who have spent months grappling with damaged infrastructure and uncertainty, the fund-raising milestone represents more than financial assistance, it signals a turning point in their recovery.

Principal of Green Pond High School in Montego Bay, Oraine Ebanks said the scale of public support left a lasting emotional impact on him — reinforcing the strength of national solidarity behind the rebuilding effort.

“The support was overwhelming. I got emotional this morning when I was on the stage and to know that most persons really run for the cause and walk for the cause, and to see that the support this year was overwhelming, as a school, we are grateful,” Ebanks told the Jamaica Observer on Sunday.

Green Pond High was among five Hurricane Melissa-affected schools selected as beneficiaries of the 2026 staging of the Sigma Corporate Run, which was held under the theme “Run for the West”. The others are Hopewell High in Hanover, Little London High in Westmoreland, Salt Marsh Primary and Infant in Trelawny, and Mayfield Primary and Infant in St Elizabeth.

All five institutions experienced varying degrees of damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which battered sections of Jamaica last October, leaving classrooms, roofs, sanitation facilities, and other critical infrastructure in urgent need of repair.

Ebanks said the funding is expected to significantly improve conditions for both students and staff, many of whom have had to operate in challenging circumstances since the storm.

“This is going to transform the reality of our students and our staff members and all the stakeholders in the west, and I can assure you that I am speaking on behalf of my other four colleagues who would have benefited as well…so it’s really a good feeling,” he added.

Salt Marsh Primary and Infant School, acting Principal Venesha Brown-Gordon described a similar sense of disbelief and appreciation at the national response to the charity road race, noting that the fund-raising success exceeded expectations.

“Well, I’m elated and I’m in awe. When I saw the support this [Sunday] morning, in terms of the number of persons who turned out, corporate Jamaica included, I was really wowed; I was surprised and I was almost speechless when I saw the support and when I heard that we had exceeded the amount that was set forth,” Brown-Gordon said.

She also expressed heartfelt thanks to those who contributed, emphasising the importance of the assistance at a critical moment for her school community.

“I just wanted to say, ‘Thank you, Jamaica; thank you for coming out and for showing up for us when we needed you the most’,” she said.

The 28th staging of the race raised $152,010,736.48 for its beneficiaries, surpassing its target of $150 million and pushing cumulative funds raised since the event’s inception in 1999 beyond the $1-billion mark.

Christopher Zacca, president and chief executive officer of Sagicor Group Jamaica and chairman of the Sagicor Foundation Jamaica, said the achievement reflects the generosity and unity of Jamaicans locally and abroad.

“Crossing the $1-billion mark is not just a record-breaking milestone, it is a testament to the compassion, generosity, and collective spirit of the Jamaican people. Year after year, Sigma [Corporate Run] proves what we can achieve when we come together for a shared purpose, transforming lives and strengthening communities across our nation.

“For 2026, we knew we had to test the limits for our children in the west, and I’m so happy that Jamaican’s locally and across the Diaspora, as well as our friends regionally and internationally, supported in such a big way,” Zacca said.

With 30,939 participants registered for this year’s event, it highlights sustained public support for the initiative, which has funded over 35 charities and national causes over the past 27 years, including hospitals, schools and vulnerable communities.

But for Ebanks, the significance of the moment extends beyond infrastructural repairs. He said the gesture has sent a powerful message to students, teachers and the wider school community.

“I’m really, really looking forward to when the work will start, and I’m really happy to be taking back good messages to my stakeholders that Sagicor will make an impact on the school community,” he said.

An aerial view of a section of the crowd as participants get ready to start the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run in New Kingston on Sunday. Photo: Leo Hudson

Participants in the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run are all smiles as they cross the start line to run and walk for charity on Sunday. Photo: Karl Mclarty

Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams was not to be outdone in the Sagicor Sigma charity road race on Sunday, as she is seen crossing the finishing line among participants. Photo: Karl Mclarty

Prime Minister Andrew Holness fourth left) and wife Juliet Holness (third right), who is also speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Rural, are seen among the registrants who participated in Sunday’s Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run in St Andrew. Photo: Karl Mclarty

Entertainer Ding Dong brings the vibes at Sunday’s Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run. Photo: Karl Mclarty

Uniformed groups also turned up to run for charity on Sunday. Photo: Karl Mclarty

There were rollerbladers, too!Photo: Karl Mclarty

No matter the age, thousands turned up to ‘Run for the West’ at the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run in St Andrew on Sunday. Photo: Karl Mclarty