The event, under the theme 'Running for Dreams', which is held to raise funds for needy students at all five campuses of The University of the West Indies (UWI) around the English-speaking Caribbean, had been held at the Mona campus in Kingston for the previous eight years but the organisers has had “to pivot” this year, according to host of the launch, popular radio personality Miss Kitty.

Over 300 students have benefited from the previous eight stagings, according to chairperson of the organising committee Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, who spoke at the launch.

“When you think that they have worked so hard to get to where they are and not be able to complete their degrees, some of them have to drop out as they can't afford the tuition,” she said in reference to the scholarship component of the event.

Buchanan-Hind said:

“ “These students are outstanding academically, but in dire need. Many are the first in their family or community to attend a tertiary institution, and they face serious hardships. Some can't afford food and have to sleep in the lab as they have nowhere to live...they have no access to Internet or computers at home.”

Corporate sponsors and participants have combined to make the event the success that it has been, and Buchanan-Hind said donors can identify a campus they want to help or a particular student.

The campuses are The UWI, Mona, Cave Hill in Barbados, St Augustine in Trinidad, the Open Campus in Jamaica and the newest Five Islands in Antigua that opened its doors in September 2019.

Participants can enter at www.runningeventsja.com, and they can run the distance on their own, either on a treadmill, on the road or wherever they wish and then upload the time on the site.

Hubert “Tony” Blair, an executive at title sponsors CB Chicken, said the event “was very important to us” and said his company leveraged their corporate partners to get involved.

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Source: CB/UWI 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K to raise funds for needy tertiary-level students (jamaicaobserver.com)

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