Champs fever is in the air! I just read a tweet that said the Jamaican conglomerate, Grace Kennedy, will invest J$36.75 million in Champs this year. And some of that money will go to the coaches of the winning boys and girls teams – J$150,000 each plus other prizes. Excitement was already building for an exciting completion, but that should sweeten the proverbial pot.
A month after Champs, Jamaican high school athletes will make the trek to Franklin Field for the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania. According to informed sources, Kingston College will be honored for 50 years of participation in the relays as the first Jamaican school to compete there. It promises to be an event to remember.
Let’s hope the winter winds will have ceased blowing by the time the Penn Relays come around. For it seems that old man winter doesn’t want to leave this year and is causing a lot of discontent. We certainly have felt its sting here in Atlanta. And so some Atlanta Old Boys - including yours truly - were happy to head further south to Tampa for the Tampa Connection’s sixth Annual Dinner Dance held the first Saturday each March.
Mike Hoyes, Jeffrey Hoyes and the team have grown the event into a solid fundraiser for Kingston College. My wife and I had a terrific time and were able to chat with Principal Myrie and his wife Helen a bit. The unofficial Vice Principal, Audley Hewett and his wife Shelly were also in attendance.
It was also good to see my former classmate Michael Walters and his wife Janet. Janet is still adjusting to having another person in her house as Michael was working in American Samoa for the last two years on a contract. You should recognize Michael from his articles in the KC Times on life in Samoan islands.
My heartfelt thanks to the Tampa Connection for the warm hospitality they extended to me and my wife, and for presenting us with one of their outstanding achievement awards.
Happy reading!