VCB leads list of honorees for People Profile Awards

Olympian and retired sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown will headline a star-studded group at the 6th annual People Profile Awards (PPA), where she will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding career representing Jamaica in track and field.

Campbell-Brown, who is Jamaica’s most decorated athlete, winning over 46 medals at international events, including 27 gold, 16 silver and 3 bronze, will be presented with the award at a black-tie gala at the Sunrise Civic Center in Sunrise, Florida, on Sunday, September 5.

She will join previous notable Lifetime Achievement awardees such as singer-actress Melba Moore, Oliver Samuels, Leonie Forbes and Trinidadian scientist Pepe Ramnaught.

Other notable past PPA honorees include the late Florida Congressman Alec Hastings, basketball superstar Dwayne Wade, and acclaimed motivational speaker Les Brown.

Apart from Campbell-Brown, some 11 other people will be presented with awards.

They include the vice-mayor of Lauderhill, Denise Grant, who will be recognised for her outstanding work in partnering with Feed America to bring PPE assistance to the city, as well as assisting with logistics to get vaccines to the city of Lauderhill as part of efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

The Humanitarian Award will be presented to Karelle Chang for her work in the community and her charitable contributions to the development of the Broward County community.

Tamica Quarrie will be presented with the Edna Stewart Outstanding Parenting Award, while Shak’s Hope will receive the Dr Allan Cunningham Legacy Award for its work with sickle cell, including its work with the Sickle Cell Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

The Community Sports Leadership Award will go to Jacson Jenkins of the Miami Dolphin football team, while Marty Kiar, the Broward County property appraiser, will receive the Corporate Citizen Award.

Jawan Straber, NBC 6 reporter, will get the Inspirational Award for his programme Voices, which features people from the community.

Gleaner writer and journalist Lester Hinds will receive the Outstanding Journalist of the Year Award.

Founder of the People Profile Awards Dr Allan Cunningham explained that the awards were created six years ago to honour outstanding members of the community for their contributions and has grown into the event it has now become.

“We seek to recognise the contributions of others in lifting up our community. The People Profile Awards is a fitting way to get this done,” he said.

Among the presenters will be Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami, Oliver Mair; Mayor of Marimar Wayne Messam; congressional candidate Dale Holness; and Peter Gracey, vice-president of the People Profile Organization.

It is expected that some 300 people will be in attendance, and Cunningham said that strict COVID-19 protocols will be observed. He pointed out that it is for this reason that they have reduced the number of people who will be in attendance.