Promoters give
JASON “DJ Mac” McDowell, co-conceptualiser of the party series OSA (Outside Again), says he and his team decided to make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of Jamaica to help sensitise Jamaicans about the life-threatening disease.
“We decided to choose Lupus Foundation of Jamaica because we felt that a lot of Jamaicans didn’t know about the autoimmune disease. We also have colleagues and family that has been affected by the disease and felt the urge to spread awareness,” McDowell told the Jamaica Observer.
He, along with Shaquille “iRealPedro” Blake and Timothy South, donated $67,000 on June 7. The handover took place at the foundation’s New Kingston office.
McDowell said the recipients were over the moon about the donation.
“They were elated actually and very grateful for the donation. They actually made us realise the greater value of our donation,” he said.
The Lupus Foundation of Jamaica is a member-sponsored, volunteer-run, organisation in operation since 1984, dedicated to improve the lives and outcomes of persons affected by lupus through information, education, advocacy and support.
Jamaica has one of the highest rates of lupus worldwide, with thousands of Jamaicans affected by this serious and lifelong, and in some cases life-threatening, autoimmune disease, typically without warning at the peak of their productive lives.
Meanwhile, McDowell said the OSA has been quite successful since its inception in January.
“It actually came about when we started our first project at 8 Rivaz at the Cove called Ocho which was set to be a Sunday brunch series. After our first staging on January 2, we realised the Sundays weren’t as conducive for a series. We turned our energy towards the Saturdays and called it OSA, which was an abbreviation for outside again. This was the brainchild of Timothy South aka South Management, iRealPedro, and myself. We executed our first staging of OSA Saturdays on January 15,” he explained.
At the same time, he is imploring other players in the entertainment industry to give back to worthy causes, where they can.
“We have to remember that it’s the people that make our events. From the patrons, workers and planners to the persons selling and the wider communities where our venues are located. If we don’t care enough to take care of the people, then there’s no success,” McDowell said.