Team Jamaica Bickle provides defibrillators to Jamaica
Nurses Sharon Thompson and Delores McGregor take the
group through the CPR process during 2018 training.
GGR Foundation
Caribbean L 32 ife, July 19–25, 2019
By Nelson A. King
The philanthropic, Queensbased
Team Jamaica Bickle
(TJB), the organization that
provides meals, among other
things, to Caribbean athletes
participating in the Penn
Relays at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia,
says that 20 more Jamaican
high schools were expected to
receive Automated External
Defibrillators (AEDS) and First
Aid Kits from as part of the
group’s annual “Defibrillator to
Schools Program.”
JTB said the distribution
was expected to take place on
Tuesday, July 16, at the S Hotel
on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in
Montego Bay.
A second presentation is
being planned for later in the
year in keeping with TJB’s
mission to donate a minimum
of 25 units to mark its 25th
anniversary.
“The program, which was
born out of grief and loss, has
been nothing short of impactful
with the initiative which began
in 2014 creating awareness
of the need for emergency
resources at sporting activities
and other venues,” JTB said.
“The heightened awareness
of the defibrillator program
has also extended generally
to schools and private sector
organizations yielding a cadre
of trained staff,” it added.
JTB said schools are now
requesting to be included in the
annual presentations, “which
were prompted by the sudden
and tragic deaths of studentathletes
Cavahn McKenzie (2014)
and Dominic James (2016), both
at sporting events.”
In addition to receiving
units, JTB said school staff
are also trained in CPR and
are presented a certificate on
completion.
Schools can send up to four
members of staff to be trained
at the given sessions, JTB said.
“It is the organization’s
goal to outfit each high school
with its dedicated AED unit,”
it said, stating that the latest
presentation will bring the total
number of schools outfitted by
TJB and indirect donors to just
over 70.
Schools set to receive units
in the latest round of awards
were: Anchovy High; Black
River High; Cambridge High;
Grange Hill High; Irwin High;
Lewisville High; Little London
High; Maggotty High; Maldon
High; Manchester High; Maud
McLeod High; Merlene Ottey
High; Munro College; Muschett
High; Nain High; Newell
High; Roger Clarke High; Troy
High; Belmont Academy; and
Knockalva High.
“The welfare of our athletes
motivated us 25 years ago to
start TJB,” said TJB chairman,
Irwine Clare, Snr. “Their welfare
was foremost in our minds with
the launch and continuation of
this program.
“This presentation of 20
AEDs and training of staff from
schools primarily in the western
section of island represents our
continued commitment,” he
added. “We thank our sponsors
and supporters.”
Clare said nurses Sharon
Thompson and Delores
McGregor, from the Diaspora
Healthcare Sector, were
expected to conduct the training
sessions.
Coach Marlene Hawthorne
receives her certifi cate from
Nurse Delores McGregor (L)
& Nurse Sharon Thompson
(R). GGR Foundation