MoBay’s Chinese community gives $2.55m towards breast cancer 5K
Published:Friday | October 20, 2023 | 4:08 PMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MONTEGO BAY’S Chinese community has stepped forward to support the Kiwanis Club of Providence – Montego Bay’s upcoming 14th annual Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run/Walk/Wheelchair event with $2.55 million that was presented to the club on Wednesday.
Yangsen Li, the first vice-president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made the donation to the club outside the Hua Square store in Fairview, Montego Bay, on Wednesday morning, on behalf of the western city’s local Chinese community, of which he is a leading representative.
“Our Chinese community in Montego Bay, we always partner with not only the Kiwanis Club and its breast cancer fund, but also with a lot of other projects for community development. We believe in supporting each other and making our city better,” said Li.
“Our partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Providence’s breast cancer fund is a testament to our commitment to the fight against breast cancer, making a significant impact on breast cancer awareness, prevention, and support for those in need,” Li noted.
“Our community firmly believes in the principle of ‘helping hands, caring hearts’, and we understand the importance of giving back and creating a positive impact on the society we call home,” he added.
The Chinese community’s $2.55-million contribution covers more than one-quarter of the Kiwanis Club of Providence – Montego Bay’s targeted goal to raise $8 million in funding from the 5K event, which was first held in 2009.
Nadine Spence, chairman of the 5K event, thanked the Chinese community profusely for its contribution to the cancer awareness.
“We are just over the moon, and we are ecstatic that the Chinese community could come out and support us in such a substantial way. It speaks to the community effort and that we are really impacting lives, and that people are seeing it; and for us, it speaks volumes,” said Spence.
The Kiwanis Club of Providence – Montego Bay’s Breast Cancer 5K event originally started out of a need to educate and provide support for breast cancer patients in Montego Bay and the wider western Jamaica.
It is held every year in October, which is celebrated globally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This year’s staging will be held on Sunday, October 29, in Montego Bay, with the proceeds to go towards giving financial support to the Jamaica Cancer Society, the Cornwall Regional Hospital’s oncology ward for children, cancer survivors in western Jamaica, and other Kiwanis charities.
Spence voiced hope that this year’s attendance in the run/walk/wheelchair activity will surpass last year’s attendance of 1,800 participants.
“Registration is going pretty smoothly, and we are hoping that by this weekend things will pick up some more. We are expecting the numbers to double that of last year,” said Spence. “Last year we got over 1,800 participants, and this year we are expecting to get double that amount, or more.”
Meanwhile, Althea Allen-Keen, president of the Kiwanis Club of Providence – Montego Bay, expressed confidence that Wednesday’s hefty financial contribution to the 5K event will inspire others to likewise come on board and show their support.
“This is known as one of the club’s major signature projects, as every year we host this type of activity. I know this type of sponsorship will drive other persons to join us in such a significant venture, and I hope this year we can really make a much larger, significant improvement in the lives of cancer patients; and I hope we get to the target of $8 million,” said Allen-Keen.