Caribbean Media Marketing Inc; New York: For the past 19 years, Team Jamaica Bickle, (TJB) has been at the forefront of providing for Jamaican athletes, who make the annual trek to the Penn Relays; the leading U.S. track and field event for high school, college and Olympic-level athletes, at the University of Pennsylvania. This year’s Penn Relays take place, April 25-27, 2013.
The program, known as the TJB Hospitality Initiative, has been a superb, necessary, and enriching platform for these athletes. In fact, through the organization’s efforts more of the athletes are able to travel to these relays thanks to the sponsorship provided, which reduces the cost to both the families and schools. As a result, over 650 athletes and coaches benefit from the provision of meals, ground transportation, medical and chiropractic care, among other services. Many have gone on to US Colleges and stellar careers in the track and field world.
Taking care of these athletes, means, ensuring that not only their very basic needs are met; but providing a general atmosphere of home and community; it is a huge undertaking. Team Jamaica Bickle is the very essence of a home-away from home, as while in a not so familiar place there is the element of familiar.
Irwine Clare, the founder and tireless advocate, of Team Jamaica Bickle noted that the demands on sponsor dollars from many sources makes it that more difficult to attract adequate funding. Thus the appeal to the community which he feels is more a matter of “lack of awareness than willingness.”
“We have generally just gone ahead and done the best with what we have and I believe the public believes we are well-funded; we don’t need help.”
One sponsor who has always stood in the trenches is Caribbean Foods Delight, considered a lifetime partner. Their support has been unwavering in. They have been the backbone of the program for years, with Mr. Vincent HoSang, owner & CEO personally driving the truck laden with food and supplies, from New York to Pennsylvania on numerous occasions.
