NEW YORK, February 20, 2008 - If the efforts of just one of the scores of overseas Jamaican organizations bear fruit, the nation’s sporting ambassadors selected for this year’s Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, will have one less thing to worry about, getting there in style.
That is the vision of Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), a not-for-profit organization founded fourteen years ago to better provide for the growing number of Jamaican student athletes at the Penn Relays Carnival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
TJB has announced the staging of a benefit concert - their biggest undertaking yet – at the Brooklyn College Performing Arts Center/Brooklyn College, NY, on Sunday, April 20, 2008.
Themed “Team Jamaica on the Road to Beijing”, the reggae concert event will be staged in association with VP Records Family and will benefit those athletes participating in the 2008 staging of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, USA, from April 24-26, the national team to the Beijing Summer Olympics in China and the TJB Scholarship Fund.
Even though he delayed naming the headline acts, TJB President/Founder Irwine G. Clare said that the event takes on “national prominence and importance” and as such he was anticipating the participation and support of all Jamaicans.
“There is no doubt that the road to Beijing, China, runs through New York City and Philadelphia and TJB is honoured to partner with VP Records Family to stage this event, as such all Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica are being invited to participate by attending the concert or contributing financially,” Clare said.
According to Clare, an immigration rights advocate, “since 1994, TJB has been called on to provide assistance to our athletes with immigration issues, tuition, medical, legal and other concerns and challenges. This event is yet another attempt to accumulate funds to be able to satisfy these requests on a timely basis. We are very proud to be able to play this role”.
Jamaican sports icon and Olympian Donald “DQ” Quarrie has graciously consented to be the concert event patron. The event will also honour the memory of the late Herb McKenley - Olympic hero and sports administrator/coach who died last November – with a donation in his honour to the JAAA, the national association for track & field athletics in Jamaica.
Contributions may be sent to; Team Jamaica Bickle, c/o Irwine G. Clare, 159-05 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432. T: 718-523-2861.
