Wagga Hunt Foundation to honour Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

JIS:

JAMAICA’S SHELLY-ANN Fraser-Pryce, the second fastest woman in history, will be the toast of Washington, DC, at the 9th annual David ‘Wagga’ Hunt Scholarship Award Red Carpet Ball on February 20.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist, businesswoman and philanthropist, ‘Pocket Rocket’, will be honoured for her extraordinary achievements and distinguished service in track and field and philanthropy.

Her Excellency Audrey P. Marks, the Jamaican ambassador to the United States, is serving as patron for the virtual red-carpet affair, along with Kingston College (KC) Principal Dave Myrie and Calabar High School Principal Albert Corcho.

“Our mission remains the same – to continue offering scholarships to deserving students at KC and Calabar in Kingston, Jamaica,” organising committee chairman Christopher Hunt explained. “To date, we have awarded over 35 scholarships exceeding US$106,000.”

Deserving students at KC and Calabar will benefit from all of the funds raised from the Washington, DC, red-carpet event.

The chairman pointed out that the evening’s programme will highlight remarks by Ambassador Marks, testimonials from previous and current scholarship recipients, and musical entertainment by renowned Jamaican reggae artistes, among them, the Fab 5 Band, Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, Lovindeer, and Gem Myers.

“Due to the pandemic, we had to pivot from our usual red-carpet ball held in Washington, DC, to a virtual platform,” said the planning committee chairman. “However, I am pleased – based on the response last year with our virtual event – that we were able to reach a more global audience, which afforded us more opportunity to garner more needed funds to continue with our mission.”

INCREASED HARDSHIP

This being the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunt noted, students’ families continue to face increased hardship in Jamaica.

“We remain resolved as ever, as we seek to minimise the effects on the students’ efforts to continue receiving quality education, via affordable technological equipment, tools, and logistical frameworks. Lack of such accessibility and deficiency has hindered the efforts of the many teachers and have certainly caused increased stress and concerns for both parents and students, alike.”

Ambassador Marks has commended the David ‘Wagga’ Hunt Memorial Scholarship Committee for “sustaining this important initiative, which has served as a powerful tool in transforming the lives of several boys by helping them to complete their high school education and to realise their dreams.”

The scholarship fund honours the legacy of the late David ‘Wagga’ Hunt, a distinguished Kingston College alum.

Among noteworthy highlights, he was co-founder of Meadhaven United Football Club; former general secretary of the Kingston & St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA); and former general secretary of the Minor League Football Association. He died in 2007.

David Hunt was one of Jamaica’s foremost track-and-field analysts, who was driven by a deep passion for youth and sports. As coach, he led Calabar to both the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles in 2005.