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Bolt lights up Spanish Town hospice
BY KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
WORLD 100 and 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt brought smiles to the faces of some 68 HIV-infected children at the 'Dare to Care' hospice in Spanish Town yesterday, where he handed over a cheque
for $100,000, in addition to PUMA apparel.
Triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt (second left) hands over PUMA sneakers to HIV-infected children at the Mustard Seed Community's 'Dare to Care' facility in Spanish Town yesterday. (From left) Deputy executive director of the Mustard Seed Communities, Darcy Tulloch; Winsome Wilkins from United Way of Jamaica and Bolt's manager Norman Peart share in the moment. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
"When you get it it's always good to give back and I heard about this fire earlier in the year, but I had a car accident and it kind of threw out our plans," Bolt told the Observer after playing games and taking pictures with the kids.
"I have some meets coming up (in Europe), so I decided that I have to do this before (National) Trials, because I'll be leaving directly after... so I just made sure I came here and did this for the kids because I really enjoy just spending time with kids," the 22-year-old sprinter explained.
The children, aged between three and 17 years, were treated to cake and ice-cream after they played games and took pictures with the triple Olympic gold medallist from Beijing.
"I will continue giving to the kids and try to make Jamaica a better place because that's how I was brought up, to be kind and give to the less fortunate," Bolt added.
Darcy Tulloch, the deputy executive director of the Mustard Seed Communities of which 'Dare to Care' forms a part, says Bolt's contribution of cash and gifts will go some way in helping to bring joy to the lives of the disease-stricken youngsters.
"Within the Mustard Seed Communities 'Dare to Care' represents the HIV programme. It's the only home or facility in Jamaica that deals with pediatric AIDS and we have in the system about 68 children who are HIV positive or who have full-blown AIDS and these are individuals who have got to be placed on anti-retroviral drugs," Tulloch said, noting that 48 of the children are based in Spanish Town, with another 20 located at the Matthew 25:40 facility in Kingston.
"One of our biggest challenges is to provide medication for them on a regular basis. We do get assistance from the Global Fund to provide the medication, but there are a lot of what they call opportunistic diseases that also come with the illness and therefore it takes a lot to care and we probably spend about $30,000 per child per month," Tulloch explained.
She said plans are underway to erect additional buildings at the Spanish Town facility to house the 30 children who were displaced by fire at the Martha's House facility on North Street in Kingston on March 16.
Winsome Wilkins, president and CEO for United Way of Jamaica which administers charity projects on Bolt's behalf, said yesterday's event was the second in a series after presenting fire extinguishers to
four basic schools in Trelawny earlier this year.
Bolt's manager Norman Peart said yesterday's donation was long in coming.
"We saw the story in the papers some months ago where Martha's House was burnt down and the kids had to be relocated and with Usain's charity dealing with community development and giving back
to kids, we decided to make a visit," Peart said.
"We contacted PUMA and made arrangements for shoes, T-shirts and caps for each child and staff member associated with the 'Dare to Care' hospice, in addition to the $100,000," Peart added.
Bolt lights up Spanish Town hospice
BY KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
WORLD 100 and 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt brought smiles to the faces of some 68 HIV-infected children at the 'Dare to Care' hospice in Spanish Town yesterday, where he handed over a cheque
for $100,000, in addition to PUMA apparel.
Triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt (second left) hands over PUMA sneakers to HIV-infected children at the Mustard Seed Community's 'Dare to Care' facility in Spanish Town yesterday. (From left) Deputy executive director of the Mustard Seed Communities, Darcy Tulloch; Winsome Wilkins from United Way of Jamaica and Bolt's manager Norman Peart share in the moment. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
"When you get it it's always good to give back and I heard about this fire earlier in the year, but I had a car accident and it kind of threw out our plans," Bolt told the Observer after playing games and taking pictures with the kids.
"I have some meets coming up (in Europe), so I decided that I have to do this before (National) Trials, because I'll be leaving directly after... so I just made sure I came here and did this for the kids because I really enjoy just spending time with kids," the 22-year-old sprinter explained.
The children, aged between three and 17 years, were treated to cake and ice-cream after they played games and took pictures with the triple Olympic gold medallist from Beijing.
"I will continue giving to the kids and try to make Jamaica a better place because that's how I was brought up, to be kind and give to the less fortunate," Bolt added.
Darcy Tulloch, the deputy executive director of the Mustard Seed Communities of which 'Dare to Care' forms a part, says Bolt's contribution of cash and gifts will go some way in helping to bring joy to the lives of the disease-stricken youngsters.
"Within the Mustard Seed Communities 'Dare to Care' represents the HIV programme. It's the only home or facility in Jamaica that deals with pediatric AIDS and we have in the system about 68 children who are HIV positive or who have full-blown AIDS and these are individuals who have got to be placed on anti-retroviral drugs," Tulloch said, noting that 48 of the children are based in Spanish Town, with another 20 located at the Matthew 25:40 facility in Kingston.
"One of our biggest challenges is to provide medication for them on a regular basis. We do get assistance from the Global Fund to provide the medication, but there are a lot of what they call opportunistic diseases that also come with the illness and therefore it takes a lot to care and we probably spend about $30,000 per child per month," Tulloch explained.
She said plans are underway to erect additional buildings at the Spanish Town facility to house the 30 children who were displaced by fire at the Martha's House facility on North Street in Kingston on March 16.
Winsome Wilkins, president and CEO for United Way of Jamaica which administers charity projects on Bolt's behalf, said yesterday's event was the second in a series after presenting fire extinguishers to
four basic schools in Trelawny earlier this year.
Bolt's manager Norman Peart said yesterday's donation was long in coming.
"We saw the story in the papers some months ago where Martha's House was burnt down and the kids had to be relocated and with Usain's charity dealing with community development and giving back
to kids, we decided to make a visit," Peart said.
"We contacted PUMA and made arrangements for shoes, T-shirts and caps for each child and staff member associated with the 'Dare to Care' hospice, in addition to the $100,000," Peart added.
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