Digicel sponsors Bob Marley One Love charity match

Digicel was announced as the title sponsor for the Bob Marley One Love charity football match, which will raise funds for children at the three state-run homes across Jamaica.

The announcement, which was made during the launch at the Barbican Beach facility last night, comes only weeks after the telecommunications company announced a group-wide two-year partnership with the legend Bob Marley through the Bob Marley Foundation.

Scheduled to take place at the National Stadium on March 9, the initiative will benefit the Best Care Lodge, the Special Olympics and the Mustard Seed Communities.

The Bob Marley One Love match, which was inaugurated in 1982, was designed by chief organiser Clive 'Busy' Campbell - former Santos football player and friend of Bob Marley - to create an avenue to provide funding for charities that focus on children.

"Bob was a very good friend of mine, he was always talking about the children and how important they are to our country's future," said Campbell.

"Since then, I've been focused on children's needs through my support of the Best Care Children's Home, Mustard Seed and basic schools in general, and this year's event is expected to be even bigger and better with Digicel on board," he added.

In the meantime, Deane Shepherd, director of Blueprint Consultants and event planners for the match, said that "The collaboration between football and entertainment was selected because of Marley's love for both, their unifying nature and ability to engender friendly rivalry among athletes, entertainers and corporate entities alike."

Celebrities to participate

He added: "So far, several local celebrities have confirmed their involvement, such as Kymani Marley, Chris Martin, Wayne Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Peter Prendergast, and many more."

Digicel's sports sponsorship manager, Paula Pinock-MacLeod, said they were happy to support an initiative that will "benefit children who are less fortunate".

"Bob Marley is known not only for his outstanding musical legacy, but also for his passion for football and his love for his Jamaican people," said Pinnock-MacLeod. "With Digicel being a huge supporter of Jamaican culture and football locally and across the region, it was only natural that we'd want to leverage our partnership with Bob Marley to be part of this exciting initiative, which will benefit children that are less fortunate."

The match has become a feature of the celebration of Black History Month and the life of our reggae ambassador, Bob Marley.