More than 2,600 for GraceKennedy Run

The last count by the planning committee for GraceKennedy's 5K Education Run has revealed that over 2,600 persons are signed up for the exciting event to take place in downtown Kingston by the scenic waterfront tomorrow. This number shows an increase of approximately 40 per cent over last year's participation.

With last-minute entrants rushing to sign up, the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation, hosts of the fund raising event, is confident that it will be able to reach its target of $3 million.

Fruitful exercise

While runners, walkers and wheelchair participants from corporate Jamaica and the general public merge together at the start line of the 5K Run tomorrow morning, the exercise will be a fruitful one whether they make it to the finish line or not. In the end they would have supported the dreams of students from communities in downtown Kingston to make it through their high-school years and on to tertiary education.

Frances Madden, general manager of the Foundation, says the organisation is very proud of the many students who have triumphed over many adversities in their communities through the intervention of the Foundation. These include crime, violence, political influences as well as conflicts within their households.

"We act as surrogate parents within the community at times," says Madden.

"It is not just about giving the students some money and letting them go. Our mandate is about changing lives, so we take on the sometimes mammoth task of dealing with personal issues. This means giving psychological counselling, finding accommodation, lunch money and bus fares so that the students' educational dreams can be achieved."

The Foundation's general manager says she is proud of the many students who enrol and complete high school through the organisation's homework centres and are today pursuing careers in institutions both locally and internationally.

"We have graduates from our programmes studying as far as France, doing a Masters in English; and others doing Nautical Science at the Caribbean Maritime Institute; Electrical Engineering at the University of Technology, and law at the University of the West Indies," Madden added.