Sprinting great Usain Bolt has once again thrown his full support behind the Jamaica National Building Society (JN) Foundation Heroes in Action Run/Walk, which is again set for Falmouth – the capital of his home parish, Trelawny – on Sunday, October 16, 2016.
Bolt, who, through the Usain Bolt Foundation, was a partner of the inaugural staging of the event in 2015, will once again demonstrate his support of an activity, which he believes is “a sustainable and important initiative that seeks to raise funds and support youth in various sectors of society”.
“I am a solid supporter of initiatives that benefit and empower the people of my hometown, and I am particularly pleased that this event has at its heart, causes that support organisations that work to protect our children and provide needed services in Trelawny,” he said.
This year, the event, which has been divided into a 4km Fun Run/Walk and an 8km Run, hopes to raise funds for the Victim Services Division of Trelawny and provide additional funds to last year’s refurbishment project at the Granville Place of Safety for Girls, which is also based in the parish.
Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, emphasised that the event formed part of the organisation’s focus on rural development.
“Our efforts on behalf of the Victim Services Division of Trelawny will ensure that children who are victims of crime will receive adequate social services to aid their recovery,” she noted. “Our continued efforts with the Granville Place of Safety will provide the wards of the facility with additional educational resources to further bolster their future potential beyond the home.”
Funds raised will enable the Victim Services Division to acquire materials to support play therapy and art therapy, as well as the design and delivery of group-therapy interventions, benefitting young people in the parish. The completion of a multi-purpose resource centre for wards at the Granville Place of Safety for Girls will also be supported.
HEART OF OUR NATION
“Our focus on helping children is not by accident as we recognise that our children, whether in rural or urban Jamaica, are the heart of our nation and our future,” Brown noted.
She also encouraged Jamaicans at home and abroad who are not able to participate in the run to make a donation via the ISupportJamaica.com crowdfunding website, where they have a chance to receive Puma shirts autographed by Usain Bolt when they make contributions to the cause.
The run is being organised with technical support from the team at Running Events Limited and will take runners on a course through the streets of the historic town of Falmouth.
The 8km is designed to target sprint enthusiasts with a strong desire for competition, while the 4k Fun Run will be geared at engaging families and individuals, with various challenge stations, along with a historical aspect to educate participants on Falmouth while en route.
