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The world’s fastest man, Usain St. Leo Bolt, will start the Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk, this coming Sunday, October 15, at the Falmouth Cruise Port at 7:00 a.m. in Trelawny. The event is being staged by the JN Foundation, in partnership with the Usain Bolt Foundation.

“This year’s event promises to be one with a difference,” said Bolt, who pointed out that, “This is  not a competitive event; but, one for family and friends, celebrating heroes and running for a good cause.”

“The proceeds from the event, which takes place under the theme ‘Run For Our Heroes,’ will be donated to the Trelwany Infirmary, to upgrade and refurbish the facility, which houses 62 senior citizens,” he informed.

Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that preparations are in high gear for the third staging of the event. “The response to the event from the public has been encouraging with about 10 sponsors on board. We, therefore, anticipate a successful run/walk on October 15,” she said.

The Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager, said the historic town of Falmouth was in high anticipation of the event and stands ready to welcome patrons who will participate in the run.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the town of Falmouth so that the Georgian architecture can be seen. I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy themselves,” he said.

The Mayor noted that he was also happy that Trelawny Infirmary was this year’s beneficiary for the run. “This is happening at the appropriate time and all the proceeds from the event will go towards rehabilitation of the infirmary,” he said.

The general manager of JN Foundation pointed out that persons who are unable to physically participate in the event may donate to the cause via the crowdfunding platform, ISupportJamaica.com.

“Log onto the ISupportJamaica website at: www.isupportjamaica.com and donate. Also encourage your friends and families to pledge to this cause,” she stated, noting that the site is safe and secure.

Persons can also visit the JN Foundation and Running Events websites at the www.www.jnfoundation.com or www.runningeventsja.com to view the route maps.

The Run/Walk will culminate in a post-run celebration and awards ceremony, featuring entertainment by Ding Dong and Kevin Downswell.

Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.com l Website

The JN Foundation has launched a campaign to raise funds that will assist Caribbean islands which were devastated by the recent hurricanes Irma and Maria. The campaign, called ‘Help Our Caribbean Neighbours’.

Onyka Barrett-Scott, partnerships &development manager, JN Foundation, said the devastation to several Caribbean islands caused by the hurricanes is heart-rending.

“This is a sad and difficult time for many persons across the Caribbean region, and we stand in solidarity with everyone affected by these disasters. There are many needs that now exist; therefore, we’ve chosen to respond by raising funds to assist with the response and recovery efforts,” she said.

Barrett-Scott said the generosity of donors will help to meet some of the hurricane-related needs and support the recovery plans in the affected countries in the region. The target for the Relief Fund is US$10,000.

“I urge everyone to support the many families and children in need by giving to this disaster relief campaign, and please donate whatever you can. A little can go a very long way,” she added.

Individuals can donate to the fund by visiting the ISupport Jamaica platform at www.isupportjamaica.com and clicking on the donate button; by using JN LIVE; or by visiting the nearest JN Branch or JN MoneyShop and making a contribution to the JN Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, account number 2094267610.

Several islands were affected by major hurricanes Irma and Maria, which moved across the northern Caribbean leaving a trail of death and destruction.

The islands affected include: Barbuda, where more than 1,500 residents had to abandon the island, as it was deemed inhabitable; Dominica, which had 27 deaths and the majority of its infrastructure destroyed; the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, where most people are still without power; St Maarten, which had a third of its buildings destroyed; as well as Puerto Rico and Cuba.

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Since the inception of the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation’s scholarship programme in 1983, this year had the highest number of awardees to receive bursaries that should go towards their academic expenses from first through to fifth form.

Forty-one students from all across the island, supported by cheering parents, were present at Jamaica National’s Half-Way-Tree branch to collect their awards, after breaking down all barriers to excel in the 2017 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

Receiving the parish scholarship for Manchester, Ryan Oliphant praised his family support for his success.

“My family and I were praying that I’ll get good grades and a scholarship, so our prayers have been answered,” he stated.

Ryan gained a 98 per cent overall average in GSAT, and is now a student of Manchester High School.

Besides the parish scholarship category, there were also special areas for the JN School Savers and the children of Jamaica National employees.

Three individuals bagged School Savers’ awards: Alaina Uter representing the county of Cornwall, Kelene McKenzie representing Middlesex, and Orlando Stephens from Surrey.

THE TWO FROGS

Guest speaker Dahlia Harris, delivered an encouraging story to the awardees, placing in their heads the idea to avoid negative influences.

“One of my favourite stories is about two little frogs running up and down in a forest, and who fell in a deep hole. So the whole community of frogs came to see them in the deep hole. The other frogs said you won’t come out, but the two frogs started jumping because they wanted to come out. The people were saying that they were wasting energy. After a while one of the frogs listened and stopped jumping. He stopped believing that he could make it. He died,” she shared with the group of bright young men and women.

“The other frog was not going to be deterred. He jumped and he jumped, and no matter how the people said he won’t come out, he jumped until one day, he eventually made it out. When he came out, the other frogs said: ‘No, man! This is amazing. What kept you going even though we were shouting that you were not going to make it?’ ‘A dat oonu did a seh? Mi think a cheer oonu did a cheer fi mi come out.’ He was so focused. Even when others say change is not possible, we have to keep pressing on”.

jason.cross@gleanerjm.com

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Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s most decorated athlete, has partnered with the Jamaica National Foundation, through his Usain Bolt Foundation, to host the third staging of the Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk.

“I’m happy to be partnering with the JN Foundation to stage this initiative, which will this year benefit the Trelawny Infirmary,” Bolt said.

“Our elders and senior citizens are to be cherished. Without their endless sacrifice during our early years, we wouldn’t be capable of what we are doing today,” he said, pointing out the need for us to now care for them.

The proceeds from the event, which will take place under the theme ,’Run For Our Heroes’, will be donated to the institution in Falmouth to upgrade and refurbish the facility, which houses some 62 senior citizens.

“I urge everyone to come on board and join us to run for a worthy cause. Please sign up to participate by October 11,” he appealed.

Saffrey Brown, general manager, JN Foundation, said this year’s theme is very significant with the focus being placed on improving the home for the elderly. She added that the Usain Bolt Foundation has been partnering with Jamaica National from the inception of the run three years ago.

“We are happy for this partnership. The Usain Bolt Foundation and the JN Foundation have similar values as we impact, inspire, and innovate. Our work is to focus on creating opportunities through education and cultural development for a positive change,” she said.

Post-run celebration

The run/walk will be held on Sunday, October 15, starting at the Falmouth Cruise Port at 7 a.m. The post-run celebration, featuring an awards ceremony, will be held at the same venue.

This year’s event will have participants engaged in either a 4K Fun Run or a 10K Run. The 4K Fun Run, geared towards the family, is designed for walkers and runners, showcasing four fun obstacles along the route that children can also enjoy. Experienced and non-experienced runners can also enjoy the 4K Fun Run challenge.

The 10K Run, however, is targeting more experienced runners, a great pre-event for runners interested in participating in marathon races later this year. Speed walkers may opt to participate in the 10K Run.

Persons can visit the JN Foundation and Running Events websites at www.www.jnfoundation.com or www.runningeventsja.com to view the route maps and also register. Participants can also register at any JN Bank branch or JN MoneyShop across the country.

Individual forms are to be submitted before the close of registration at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11.

The event will culminate in a post-run celebration featuring Ding Dong, Kevin Downswell, and an awards ceremony.

The event is endorsed by the Ministries of Health, Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Gatorade, Digicel and Puma, Bolt’s sponsors over the years, are among 10 sponsors.

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KINGSTON, Jamaica — Olympic and world champion, Usain Bolt, through his foundation, has partnered with the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation,  to host the third staging of the Heroes in Action Run/Walk.

The proceeds from the event, which will take place under the theme “Run For Our Heroes,” will be donated to the Trelawny Infirmary in Falmouth, to upgrade and refurbish the facility that houses some 62 senior citizens.

“Our elders and senior citizens are to be cherished. Without their endless sacrifice during our early years, we wouldn’t be capable of what we are doing today,” Usain Bolt was quoted as saying in a release from JN today.

General manager of the JN Foundation, Saffrey Brown said that this year’s theme is very significant, with the focus being placed on improving the home for the elderly.

“We are happy for this partnership. The Usain Bolt Foundation and the JN Foundation have similar values as we impact, inspire and innovate. Our work is focus on creating opportunities through education and cultural development for a positive change,” she said.

JN said the run/walk will be held on Sunday, October 15 and will start from the Falmouth Cruise Port at 7:00 am. The post-run celebration, featuring an awards ceremony, will be held at the same venue.

JN Foundation said the Ministries of Health and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport have endorsed the event. Among the 10 sponsors are: Gatorade, Digicel and Puma, who have been Bolt’s sponsors over the years.

See the full article here!

Many-time World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt has partnered with the Jamaica National Foundation, through his Usain Bolt Foundation, to host the third staging of the Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk.

“I’m happy to be partnering with the JN Foundation to stage this initiative, which will this year benefit the Trelawny Infirmary,” Bolt said.

“Our elders and senior citizens are to be cherished. Without their endless sacrifice during our early years, we wouldn’t be capable of what we are doing today,” he said pointing out the need for us to now care for them.

The proceeds from the event, which will take place under the theme “Run For Our Heroes,” will be donated to the institution in Falmouth, to upgrade and refurbish the facility, which houses some 62 senior citizens.

“I urge everyone to come on board and join us to run for a worthy cause. Please sign up to participate by October 11,” he appealed.

Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that this year’s theme is very significant, with the focus being placed on improving the home for the elderly. She also added that the Usain Bolt Foundation has been partnering with Jamaica National from the inception of the Run three years ago.

HAPPY FOR PARTNERSHIP
“We are happy for this partnership. The Usain Bolt Foundation and the JN Foundation have similar values as we impact, inspire, and innovate. Our work is focused on creating opportunities through education and cultural development for a positive change,” she said.

The run/walk will be held on Sunday, October 15, and will start from the Falmouth Cruise Port at 7 a.m. The post-run celebration, featuring an awards ceremony, will be held at the same venue.

This year’s event will have participants engaged in either a 4K Fun Run or a 10K Run. The 4K Fun Run, which is geared towards the family, is designed for both walkers and runners and will showcase four fun obstacles along the route that small children can also enjoy.

The 10K Run, however, is targeting more experienced runners and is a great pre-event for runners interested in participating in marathon races set for later this year. Speed walkers may opt to participate in the 10K Run.

Persons can visit the JN Foundation and Running Events websites at www.www.jnfoundation.com or www.runningeventsja.com to view the route maps and also register. Participants can also register at any JN Bank branch or JN MoneyShop, across the country.

Individual forms are to be submitted before the close of registration at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.

The event is endorsed by the Ministries of Health and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Meanwhile, Gatorade, Digicel, and Puma, who have been Bolt’s sponsors over the years are among the 10 sponsors.

See the full article here!

This year’s proceeds from the JN Foundation Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk will go towards upgrading the Trelawny Infirmary.

The infirmary, which currently houses 52 residents, operates under the purview of the Poor Relief Department of the local government ministry. The funding will ensure that the facility’s occupants have access to the kind of environment that promotes physical and emotional well-being.

The run/walk will be held on Sunday, October 15, starting at 6:30 a.m. with a warm-up session at the Falmouth Pier.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said it is important that the Government backs an event such as the run/walk, which supports the overarching message of promoting physical activity among Jamaicans.

“The statistics are clear seven out of every 10 deaths in Jamaica are linked to lifestyle diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease all of which could be avoided or prevented or reduced, if Jamaicans engage in minimal physical activity and consume healthy meals,” he said.

The Trelawny Infirmary caters for Falmouth’s aged population and is the only free government facility of its kind in the parish. Most of the persons at the Infirmary are the elderly, with a few younger individuals who have a variety of mental health challenges.

He said he is also pleased that the infirmary will be the beneficiary of the proceeds, especially since the facility opened its doors to 30 patients who are social cases from the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James. These are persons with nowhere to go, who were residing at the hospital.

This is the third staging of the run/walk, which is also supported by the Usain Bolt Foundation. It will comprise a 4K Fun Run and a 10k Run, which starts and ends at the Falmouth Pier.

For more information on the routes and to register, persons can visit the JN Foundation website at www.www.jnfoundation.com, or the Running Events site at www.runningeventsja.com.

Participants can also register at any JN branch or MoneyShop islandwide. Registration closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11.

See the original article here!

This year’s proceeds from the JN Foundation Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk, will go towards upgrading the Trelawny Infirmary.

The infirmary, which currently houses 52 residents, operates under the purview of the Poor Relief Department of the Local Government Ministry.

The funding will ensure that the facility’s occupants have access to the kind of environment that promotes physical and emotional well-being.

The Government has given its full endorsement of the Run/Walk, which will be held on Sunday, October 15, starting at 6:30 a.m. with a warm-up session at the Falmouth Pier.

Speaking at the launch of the event at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on August 30, both Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, pledged their support for the activity, noting that they, along with teams from their Ministries, will be participating.

Minister Grange said the event fits within the Government’s national sports policy, which not only speaks to sports at the elite level, but at the grassroots and recreational levels as well.

“The vision of the policy is to create a dynamic and enabling environment in which persons enjoy and excel in sport at all levels, while building strong bonds of unity in communities and keeping physically fit,” she said.

For his part, Dr. Tufton said it is important that the Government back an event such as the Run/Walk, which supports the overarching message of promoting physical activity among Jamaicans.

“The statistics are clear – seven out of every 10 deaths in Jamaica are linked to lifestyle diseases (such as) arthritis, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease – all of which could be avoided or prevented or reduced, if Jamaicans engage in minimal physical activity and (consume healthy meals),” he said.

Dr. Tufton said he is also pleased that the infirmary will be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the event, especially given the fact that the facility opened its doors to 30 patients who are social cases from the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James. These are persons with nowhere to go, who were residing at the hospital.

The Trelawny Infirmary caters for Falmouth’s aged population and is the only free government facility of its kind in the parish.

Most of the persons at the Infirmary are the elderly, with a few younger individuals who have a variety of mental health challenges.

This is the third staging of the Run/Walk, which is also supported by the Usain Bolt Foundation. It will comprise a 4K Fun Run and a 10k Run, which starts and ends at the Falmouth Pier.

For more information on the routes and to register, persons can visit the JN Foundation website at: www.www.jnfoundation.com, or the Running Events site at www.runningeventsja.com. Participants can also register at any JN branch or Money Shop islandwide. Registration closes at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11.

See the original article here!

Trelawny Infirmary To benefit from Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk
The Trelawny Infirmary will this year be the beneficiary of the JN Foundation Heroes in Act!ion Run/Walk.
The proceeds from the event, which will take place under the theme “Run For Our Heroes,” will be donated to the institution, at Falmouth to upgrade and refurbish the facility, which houses some 62 residents.
Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that this year’s theme is very significant, with the focus being placed on improving the welfare of the home for the elderly.
“Our elders are the backbone of the society. They have contributed to building our country. We, therefore, thought it fitting to put the spotlight on our elderly through the upgrading of the Trelawny Infirmary, this year,” she said.
The Usain Bolt Foundation has again endorsed the run and will work in concert with the JN Foundation to generate the participation of a good number of runners and walkers.
The warm-up for Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk will take place at 6:30 a.m. at the Falmouth Port in Trelawny on Sunday, October 15; and the event will start at 7:00 a.m. The  post-run celebration, featuring an awards ceremony, will be held at the same venue.
This year’s Run/Walk will include two routes: The 4.0K Fun Run and 10K Run Runners and walkers will start and end at the Falmouth Pier. Persons can visit the JN Foundation and Running Events websites at www.www.jnfoundation.com or www.runningeventsja.com to view the route maps and also register. Participants can also register at any JN branch or Money Shop islandwide.
Individual forms are to be submitted before close of registration at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Run/Walk is symbolic of The Jamaica National Group’s continued commitment to rural development. This is the third staging of the event.
-30-

Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.com l Website: www.jnbank.coml August 30, 2017

National Baking Company became the first corporate company to launch an internal Jamaica Moves programme.

The launch, held last Friday at the company’s headquarters, came days after the Ministry of Health set in motion the Jamaica Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge.

The challenge will target private- and public-sector companies through a friendly performance-based competition. It will be done using the Running Events calendar, where companies are encouraged to enter up to six 5K races over a four-month period, from September to December 2017. The races in the circuit include the FLOW/PUMA Fortis 5K and Colour Me Happy in September, CUMI Come Run and JN Foundation Heroes in Action 5K in October, CB UWI 5K and Reggae Marathon in November and December, respectively.

Tiffany Wong, special projects – office of the chairman at Continental Baking Company and overall winner of the Jamaica Moves Get Moving Challenge, said as the overall winner for the Get Moving Challenge she was inspired to start the company’s internal programme – Fitness and Fun.

“I realised and could appreciate more and more how important it is to keep moving. I thought about how many people in the office are literally just sitting behind their desk and not doing any physical activity and we don’t have a fitness programme in place at all, so I decided to plan a health and wellness team,” Wong said.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who joined the workout at the launch, commended National for taking this first step in providing leadership for the rest of Jamaica’s corporate entities to follow.

Tufton noted that it was good business sense for employers to encourage their employees to be healthy, alert and to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

“It makes employees happier people, more contented, provides them with the energy level to produce more and be more productive. It really impacts the bottom line of any entity if your overall company profile in terms of the health of your employees is positive,” he explained.

National’s Fitness and Fun will be a series of physical activity-based events moving forward.

What is the Jamaica Moves
Get Moving Corporate Challenge?
The JAMAICA Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge is open to small and large organisations.

– Small organisations can register up to 50 employees and large organisations can register up to 100.

– Companies can sign up for the challenge by visiting the Jamaica Moves website www.jamaicamoves.com or calling 297-MOVE (6683).

– At the end of the challenge, companies and staff with the most points will be awarded. The awards include Company Spirit, Male and Female Champion.

– An organisation’s perfor-mance will be calculated based on the amount of points its members have accumulated. The organisation that has accumulated the most points will be declared the Jamaica Moves Get Moving Challenge Champion.

– The Jamaica Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge has become increasingly important in light of a 2011 study by the World Bank, titled Public Policy and the Challenge of Chronic Non Communicable Diseases, which estimated that an individual suffering from any NCD spends approximately one-third of household per capita expenditure on health-care services and the purchase of pharmaceutical drugs.

– Jamaica Moves is the country’s coordinated national response to the increased incidences of NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.

– Through education, engagement and the building of supportive environments, the programme hopes to reduce NCDs by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

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