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Gleaner fetes first set of 2016 Honour Awards recipients

Published:Wednesday | January 18, 2017 | 12:00 AMChristopher Serju
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Patrick Planter
Alfred Francis (right), head of Running Events, recipient of The Gleaner Honour Award for Health and Wellness, with his wife, Diana Ellis (second left), niece Danielle Francis, and Ramone Williams, senior assistant at Running Events.
Patrick Planter
Nugent Walker is all smiles as he holds up The Gleaner Honour Award for Sports he collected on behalf of sprinting sensation Usain Bolt.
Patrick Planter
Tommy Cowan, who received the Gleaner Honour Award for Entertainment for the annual concert Fun in the Son, with his wife, Carlene Davis.
Patrick Planter
Nugent Walker (left), who collected the Gleaner Honour Award in Sports on behalf of Usain Bolt; Steve Wilson (second left), who collected the Special Award in Entertainment on behalf of Sean Paul; Elaine Thompson, recipient of the Special Award in Sports; Alfred Francis, recipient of the Gleaner Honour Award in Health and Wellness; his wife, Diana Ellis; Robert Levy, chairman of the board, Jamaica Broilers, who received special recognition award; and Tommy Cowan (right), recipient of the Gleaner Honour Award in Entertainment for Fun in the Son.
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The Gleaner yesterday kicked off the first of its Honour Awards appreciation luncheons, in recognition of individuals and organisations whose initiative, accomplishment and courage have contributed significantly to improving Jamaica's quality of life, at any time in the preceding 12 months or are likely to bring about such a change in the immediate future.

Honorees in the spheres of entertainment, sport, and health and wellness were feted at the company's North Street, downtown Kingston office, a prelude to the media house's annual gala award event on Monday, February 20 when the Person of the Year will be selected.

Those recognised yesterday were:

* Usain Bolt - for his continued exceptional athletics performance that keeps the Jamaican brand prominent in international athletics.

* Fun in the Son - in the entertainment category for its contribution to, and extensive support of the less fortunate in Jamaica.

* Running Events Limited - for its contribution to a culture of running and healthy lifestyle.

Nugent Walker, Bolt's manager, collected the award on his behalf, while Tommy Cowan represented Fun in the Son and Alfred 'Franno' Francis was there on behalf of Running Events Limited.

Three special awards were also presented to:

* Robert Levy, chairman of the Jamaica Broilers Group, which sponsors Fun in the Son

* Sprint queen Elaine Thompson in the sport category

* Sean Paul for his contribution to entertainment and his excellence in producing a series of Billboard hits.

Other categories from which individuals and organisations will be recognised and feted in the buildup to the Gleaner's Honour Award Gala Luncheon are: arts and culture, science and technology, business, public service, education and voluntary service.

"It's a privilege and an honour and I will just continue to be that humble person. This is a motivation to push me further and it helps me to even train harder. These awards, I will cherish them even further," Thompson, Jamaica's newly minted sprint queen, told The Gleaner.