LIME extends support for Penns athletes

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Telecommunications giants LIME yesterday came to the aid of 16 high schools and two colleges that will be representing the country at the 117th staging of Penn Relays, to be held in Philadelphia, USA, from April 28-30.

Each institution was sponsored to the tune of $100,000.

This marks the 19th consecutive year that LIME has contributed to the efforts of Jamaican teams' participating at the annual relay carnival.

The tune of sponsorship represents a 100 per cent increase over last year's contribution. In addition to the amount allotted to each school, US$8,000 has been earmarked to Jamaica's Team Bickle to assist with the feeding and the transportation of the athletes while they are in Philadelphia.

All the members of the travelling contingent will receive 'Jus Talk' calling cards, a total value of $30,000, which will enable them to stay in touch with family and friends back home.

Chairman of the LIME Foundation, Errol K. Miller, explained why his company has once again stepped forward to assist the Penn Relays athletes.

"We are committed to always providing opportunities and supporting opportunities for Jamaican young people, to demonstrate that unique talent that they seem to have in almost anything that they do; and track and field is one of the areas in which we excel," Miller said, while speak at the handover ceremony yesterday at The Wyndham Kingston hotel.

"As long as Jamaican young athletes are able to go on the international stage and demonstrate their talent, LIME is going to be right there with them," he added.

well-needed support

Michael Carr, head coach of Wolmer's Girls' School, lauded LIME for supporting athletes from their junior years.

"In these economically challenging times this will go a far way in helping Wolmer's Girls," Carr stated.

"It is good that LIME came on board and supported the athletes from early and not wait until they become Olympic stars," he added.

LIME's renewed sponsorship of the Penn Relays teams comes on the back of the $8m they allocated to the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association for the staging of the boys and girls' athletics championships.

The company also recently signed a $36m agreement with the North America, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association to be the title sponsor of the CARIFTA Games for the next two years.

This is in keeping with LIME's support for Youth Athletics as last year they committed $21m - over the next three years - to the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, making it the main supporter of the country's junior athletics programme.

The institutions that benefited from LIME's sponsorship are: Calabar High, Camperdown High, Convent of Mercy (Alpha), Edwin Allen High, Herbert Morrison High, Holmwood Technical High, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Munro College, Old Harbour High, St George's College, St Jago High, The Queen's School, Vere Technical High, Wolmer's Boys, Wolmer's Girls, G.C. Foster College and the University of Technology.