Grennell's 5k event to raise road safety awareness

With road fatalities nearing the 300 mark, Grennell’s Driving School will be seeking to raise road safety awareness when it stages its annual Road Safety 5K on Saturday, November 17.

Road Safety Unit statistics indicate that there have been 286 road fatalities since the start of the year. This is 14 fewer than the 300 target set by road safety officials for the year, which less than two months away.

Starting at 6 a.m. at its head offices on Mona Road, in St Andrew, the race is also being staged in memory of road safety ambassador Falasha Fitz-Henley, who succumbed in 2017, nine years after sustaining serious injuries in a motor vehicle collision.

“Despite the life-changing incident, Falasha used her experience to tell people why they need to use the road safely and why speeding motorists need to take their time and ensure that what happened to her doesn’t happen to other people,” noted Alphonso Grennell, managing director of the Grennell’s Driving School. 

“She was more than a road safety ambassador, she was family; and we hope that persons who were moved by her story and advocacy will come out and walk or run in her memory,” Grennell shared.

The 5K comes ahead of the United Nations’ World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is observed on the third Sunday in November each year.

Grenells said the major focus of this year’s 5K is to shed light on the devastating impact of motor vehicle crashes on individuals, families and the country at large.

Sharing similar sentiments, Salada Foods Jamaica has endorsed the event with a Hot Beverage sponsorship through its flagship brand Jamaica Mountain Peak.

“This is our second year sponsoring the Run and our third road safety event,” highlighted Tamii Brown, commercial and corporate affairs manager at Salada Foods Jamaica. “We came on board because road safety affects every Jamaican. The hospitals in key towns have cited a reduction of gun-related patients, yet trauma from road collisions continue to rise.

“Initiatives such as Grennell’s Road Safety Expo, which we sponsored in June this year, and the upcoming run, are a step in the right direction. If we can educate each Jamaican of their role in road safety, the expectation is that we can finally start a downward trend,” concluded Brown.

Proceeds from the 5K will offset operating costs associated with the Accident and Emergency Unit at the Percy Junor Hospital in Manchester.

Participants will also get a chance to walk away with a two-burner gas range and vouchers courtesy of IGL.

Grennell looks forward to achieving greater success for the run this year.

“This year, we anticipate more participants and we are very optimistic we will be able to contribute between $100,000 and $200,000 to the hospital,” Grennell said.

Participants are being encouraged to come out wearing a T-shirt in honour of the entity they represent. Participants also have the option of purchasing a 5K T-shirt for $500.

To register for the event, it will cost $1,000 for adults an $500 for children under 12. Special groups and company rates can be acquired at grennells@cwjamaica.com or by calling 876-770-8586.