Rose Gordon, principal of Bob Marley Primary and Junior High School in St Ann, is anticipating great student performances at the Issa Trust Foundation’s For the Children Charity Concert alongside Ky-Mani Marley on May 27.

“It’s a great thing for them because it gives them exposure, and the fact that they are going to be performing with Ky-Mani Marley, I think they will feel great. They will be excited. And the fact that it is an event that will be used for building a health centre I think the kids will feel great and they will benefit from it. I think their parents will also feel good to know that they are actually performing for a great cause,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Ky-Mani and the schoolchildren will be performing Bob’s legendary hit One Love

The concert, slated for Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios, St Ann, will be headlined by American Grammy Award-winning singer Michael Bolton. Tarrus Riley is also set to perform.

Proceeds from the concert are earmarked for the construction of the Mary Issa Health Centre, a paediatric and adolescent care facility, near Richmond, St Ann.

Gordon further noted that this will be a memorable experience for the students.

“I think that their reaction will be one of joy because children see these events on television and they don’t have the real experience of being a part of it. So, the fact that they’re going to be on stage and everybody looking at them with this great singer, then I think they will be overjoyed,” she said.

Bob Marley attended the institution back in the day when it was referred to as Stepney Primary and Junior High School.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Issa Trust Foundation Paul Issa said his team is pulling out all the stops for the concert. He revealed that the execution, so far, has been seamless.

“I’m extremely pleased. We have a very professional team — both volunteers and paid professionals — and everyone has been working really hard, both in the marketing and logistics; as well as the actual production of the show,” he told the Observer.

“I think it’s gonna be [an] extremely well produced and enjoyable evening.”

To date, the Issa Trust Foundation has held three fund-raising concerts. In 2017 Air Supply and Tessanne Chin were headliners, while two years later Air Supply, Third World, and Koffee were the billed acts. The events were held at Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

In November 2022 Third World was headliner at a charity gala held in New York for the same cause. The foundation raised $US417,000 surpassing the US$200,000 goal.