Game For Life set for Jan 11
Published:Friday | December 20, 2019 | 12:43 AMDaniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer
Game For Life Foundation co-founder and chairman Shamal Thomas believes that given support, underprivileged children could use football to create better lives for themselves and their communities.
He was speaking at the media launch for the Game of Life Charity Games at Mary Seacole Hall at the campus of the University of the West Indies, Mona. The event, in it’s fourth year, will be held at the Ashenheim Stadium on the grounds of Jamaica College on January 11 under the theme “The Dawn of a New Era”.
FUNDRAISING
The all-day football festival seeks to raise funds to provide underprivileged children with football equipment, giving them the chance to find avenues for success through the sport. Raising funds is the primary goal of the Game for Life Foundation since its inception in 2015, and Thomas says the initiative has seen progress, not only in their playing ability, but through education as well.
“We see the kids are improving by participating in our projects, and we want to ensure that growth continues towards the holistic development of these kids,” Thomas said.
The foundation has garnered the support of current national team players who serve the non-profit organisation as ambassadors. National goalkeeper Amal Knight and midfielder Devon ‘Speedy’ Williams are two such players who were in attendance for the launch. The event includes a legends versus celebrity match, which includes members of Jamaica’s team to the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals as well as other matches. This match will feature past footballers Ricardo Gardner, Ian Goodison, and Onandi Lowe, as well as celebrities Chris Martin and Jermaine Gonzales.
Thomas says that though the impact of having the players is crucial to gaining more corporate sponsorship for the cause, the most important thing is for the youngsters to have role models for them to look up to and to inspire them to achieve their own dreams.
“We do it for the kids,” he said. “We have them as ambassadors that they can have people to look up to and aspire to walk the same path as them and even take it further than they could,” he said.
Thomas says that through the celebrity games and other outreach projects they have been able to reach over 1,000 primary schools. They have also been able to donate sporting equipment to 34 primary schools across the country.