Lucrative cash prizes and scholarships are on offer for top performers and winning schools at this year’s Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace Kennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which take place from March 28 to April 1 at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Among the top awards are two digital technology plans from title sponsors GraceKennedy worth $500,000 – one each to the school of the boys’ team and the girls’ team which break the most records at the annual track and field spectacle, popularly called ‘Champs’.
Also, the top teacher and coach of the champion boys’ school and the champion girls’ school will each receive $250,000. The track and field team of the winning boys’ school and girls’ school will be asked to nominate the teacher and coach they believe are deserving of the prize.
“When we sponsor an event like Champs, it’s more than just drawing a cheque, we sponsor with our heart and soul”, said Senator Don Wehby, group CEO of GraceKennedy, which has been the main sponsor of Champs for the past 16 years.
Speaking at the launch of Champs at the National Stadium on Wednesday, Wehby revealed that his company has committed $175 million to the event – $81 in sponsorship and $94 million in execution through its companies Grace Foods, Grace Money Services/Western Union, and First Global Bank.
“I don’t classify our investment in terms of an expense. It is an investment in our country, in our youth, and in our schools”, Wehby said.
The Grace Kennedy boss also implored the student-athletes to make excellence their hallmark “not only on the track but also in the classroom”.
Some 88 events are to be contested at the five-day event, said to be the best track and field championships for high schoolers in the world.
