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Caribbean Life, March 20-26, 2020 39
By Nelson A. King
Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB),
the Queens-based philanthropic
organization that provides
meals, transportation and other
services to Jamaican and other
Caribbean athletes participating
in the prestigious Penn Relays at
the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia, said on Friday that
it was cancelling all events leading
up to this year’s Carnival,
which was expected to run from
April 23 through 25.
TJB, which is headed by
Jamaican Irwine Clare, said in
a statement that it was aware of
the decision made by the Government
of Jamaica (GOJ) to ban
participation of Jamaican schools
at the 2020 staging of the Annual
Penn Relays Carnival.
The organization said it was
also aware of the decision made
by the GOJ, Inter-Secondary
Schools Boys and Girls Athletic
(ISSA) Championships and sponsor,
GraceKennedy, to cancel
this year’s staging of the ISSA/
GraceKennedy championships in
Jamaica.
“We, too, share the concerns
about the threat of Covid-19 to
our ‘Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors,’
and various communities,
and stand in support of the
decisions made,” TJB said. “Their
health and well-being are Paramount.
“We are equally mindful that
the athletes have trained hard
to showcase their prowess not
only for bragging rights but most
importantly to secure scholarships
to colleges and universities
overseas,” it added. “We understand
their disappointment, but
are confident that for those athletes’
non-participation in any of
these events will not stymie the
opportunities in front of them.
“We also wish to advise the
Diaspora that as a result, all of
our events leading up to the Penn
Relays have been cancelled,” TJB
continued. “We thank them for
their consistent and generous
support and look forward to next
year being even bigger and better.
TJB said that while the Penn
Relays season is over for the
organization, its fundraising
efforts for the Defibrillator to
Schools Program will continue,
“as we work to outfit more
high schools with these units
in 2020.”
Donations may be made
at https://www.teamjamaicabickle.
org/donate/
For more information, call
718-523-2861.
On Monday, the Division of
Recreation and Intercollegiate
Athletics at the University
of Pennsylvania announced that
the 2020 Penn Relays has been
cancelled “due to the evolving
coronavirus public health
threat.”
A large number of Caribbean
athletes, predominantly Jamaican,
compete in the illustrious
games annually.
Organizers said Penn “will
endeavor to host a substitute
track meet at a later date in late
May or early June.”
“Based on the current novel
coronavirus pandemic, we cannot,
in good faith, hold an event
in six weeks without putting our
participants, spectators, officials,
volunteers and staff through
undeserved health risks,” said
Dr. M. Grace Calhoun, the T.
Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director
of Recreation and Intercollegiate
Athletics at the University of
Pennsylvania, in a statement.
“We remain hopeful that the
recent measures put in place
by many health organizations,
government officials and academic
institutions will prevent
the spread of this disease, and
the world will slowly begin to
return to normal,” she added. “A
piece of that normality is competition
and participation through
sports.
“Therefore, in an effort to provide
that opportunity, the Penn
Relays will look to host a track
meet when the health and safety
of our community is more certain,”
continued Calhoun, stating
that the scope of the track
meet will not be the standard
Penn Relays format.
Jamaican Irwine Clare.
Team Jamaica Bickle cancels
all Penn Relays related events
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