Jah Jerry Foundation to honour three at fundraising gala

New York State Assembly speaker Carl Heastie, is one of three persons to be honoured at the annual Jah Jerry scholarship fundraising dinner on Friday, April 28. Heastie will receive the “Community Spirit” award, while honorees Doreen Shaffer and Clement Hume aka Ras Clem, will receive the “Jah Jerry” and “Community Service” awards, respectively.

The Jah Jerry Foundation has, over the years, awarded some 27 scholarships to students who enrolled in colleges in Jamaica and New York between 2013- 2022. Four new scholarships are pending for the 2023 academic year.

Jah Jerry, Inc has partnered with several colleges including the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts in Jamaica, City College at New York (CCNY) and Lehman College in the Bronx. All of the aforementioned schools offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in music curriculum programme.

The Foundation has also donated 20 new and state-of-the art desktop computers and 30 new tablets to elementary, middle and high schools in Jamaica,

It has provided post-graduation support and mentoring to former scholarship recipients as they pursue their career paths in the world of music.

Jah Jerry, Inc is a non-profit 501(C)(3) charitable organisation named in memory of Jerome Haynes, OD, affectionately known as Jah Jerry in the music world. He was a pioneer musician and a founding member of the original and legendary Skatalites band. His musical career spanned over 60 years, 1949-2007, and he helped create Jamaica’s first indigenous music, ska which evolved into rocksteady, reggae and dancehall. He recorded hundreds of songs and participated on the first recording session of Bob Marley & the Wailers in 1962.

The organisation was founded by James Haynes, the eldest son of Jah Jerry, and was launched in 2012 with the aim of continuing the legacy of Jah Jerry with a focus on education and youth development which was dear to him. He devoted some of his time to teaching aspiring young musicians the rudiments of the guitar and the fundamentals of reading and writing music.

The mission of the organisation is to promote education on a national and international level by providing financial assistance to students who are enrolled in college and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music.

The event will be a dinner dance and award gala at Juliano’s Caterers located in New Rochelle, NY. Tickets are available via (212) 470-5655 or www.jahjerry.org