Guardsman Games - Fun-filled activities for the entire family
Published:Wednesday | June 6, 2018 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill/ Senior Gleaner Writer
As we inch closer to the third annual staging of the Guardsman Games, set for July 22 at Hope Zoo, St Andrew, the organisers are inviting the general public to not only register for the Guardsman Challenge, but to attend and participate in fun-filled activities for the entire family.
Apart from the Guardsman Challenge, which is an individual race, persons are invited to participate in another event dubbed the 'Power Games', which is a team event of four comprising two women and two men, and the 'Tuff Kids' race in partnership with Lasco for schoolchildren ages nine to 14 years old.
There will be first-, second- and third-place prizes for all events, while the school with the largest team will receive a cash prize. Each individual who finishes the races will receive a medal and a T-shirt, while persons with the best times will qualify for the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in London or the NORAM Games in Vermont.
According to Sheila Benjamin-McNeill, group director of public relations and advertising at the Guardsman Group, the build-up to the games is generating a lot of excitement.
"The Guardsman Games is the biggest event hosted by the Guardsman Group Foundation. Our goal is to bring in much-needed funds to help our charities, which are focused on our youth," Benjamin-McNeill said.
TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL
"Our journey has just begun, but we see tremendous potential for it to become the ultimate event in Jamaica that brings family and friends together, promoting healthy lifestyles, camaraderie, team spirit, discipline, love and respect, while lending a helping hand to our less fortunate brothers and sisters," she added.
Benjamin-McNeill indicated that they have changed the elimination process for the Power Games in which competitors will be judged on more elements of assessment, which is different from last year when they only had a stamina test.
"The registration numbers are looking excellent and our boot camp participation numbers are escalating steadily, to the point that we are considering adding extra boot camp days," she said.
This year's beneficiaries include the Bustamante Hospital for Children; the Boys of Hope, in partnership with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Hope Zoo; and the Kind Hearts Initiative, in partnership with Stewart's Automotive Group.
"Through the Boys of Hope programme, we will be working with our youth between the ages of nine to 15 years. Through our partnership, we teach the youth discipline, teamwork, respect, empathy and love. It has been very encouraging, as one of the boys joined the JDF and two of them are at the Hope Zoo from last year's programme," Benjamin-McNeill said.
For more information on the Guardsman Games, visit www.guardsmangames.com or call 927-6613.