‘Vibes-a-thon’ to raise J$1m for Ardenne High

In 1989, the Ardenne Alumni Association, Toronto chapter, was established with the sole intent of giving back to Ardenne High School in Kingston. The need for assistance has been quadrupled by the COVID-19 global pandemic which has dealt a severe blow to many families in Jamaica. It has impacted students across every grade level, with some of them being unable to pay their school fees, purchase school supplies or even buy lunch on a daily basis.

It is with this concern top of mind why the Ardenne Alumni Association, Toronto chapter, is planning a special 24-hour online fundraising dubbed ‘Vibes-a-thon’, slated for Saturday, June 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the JAMM-X online platform. The event will feature DJs Bigg G, Jam Master JT and Marcus Ouja (Ardenne alum) that will provide non-stop party music for a global audience, along with speeches and well wishes from the Ardenne Alumni family.

DRIVEN BY LOVE

Alumni President Ricardo Blackwood told The Gleaner that his passion for being involved in the association was driven by his unending love for the institution and the need to give back whenever possible.

“Ardenne has moulded me to be a better person and I want to help in any way I can to make that continue for the younger generation,” he shared.

Blackwood, who graduated in 1995, said the ambitious goal of his organisation is to solicit close to CAN$8,000 (approximately J$1 million) in donations. Although the marathon’s primary focus will be to assist with the school’s lunch programme, Blackwood said this is just one of the many ways the Toronto chapter is offering assistance to the school.

“We recently helped with providing mobile Wi-Fi dongles to teachers and students. We are also in constant contact with the school officials to see where we can assist and we are always willing to go the extra mile,” he stated.

The lunch programme, which is run alongside other projects, is funded separately.

Looking back, Blackwood said the outreach that gives him the most pride was the historic purchase of a school bus in 1985 and which ran faithfully for over 20 years until a newer one was purchased recently.

“I travelled on that bus (as a student) to represent Ardenne on many occasions and I know the massive impact that donation had on the school,” he reminisced.

Looking ahead, Blackwood disclosed that there are multiple projects on the drawing board, including a scholarship fundraiser and a leadership development programme.

“We don’t just do these things on our own. Many of our initiatives are done in collaboration with other Ardenne chapters and channelled through the Ardenne Alumni International committee, which I am currently the chairperson of,” he shared.

– Ceceilia Campbell-Livingston