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“Accept this challenge, make a pledge and then pass it on,” with these words, Digicel Jamaica CEO Justin Morin, kicked off the launch of the 2018 Digicel 5K Night Run with a personal pledge of $50,000.
Morin, whose pledge was shown via video to an audience of about 100 persons at the Digicel Headquarters on Friday August 17, challenged Digicel ambassadors Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Tifa to make a pledge and encourage others to do the same.
The seventh annual night run is set to take place on October 6 at 7:00pm in downtown, Kingston.
The Digicel 5K aims to raise awareness of the issues faced by the special needs community. The group began hosting this night run in 2012 with the goal of promoting the acceptance and inclusion of persons with special needs, while supporting their drive for independence.
The proceeds from this year’s event will go towards seven Special Needs organizations: Community Based Rehabilitation Programme, Early Stimulation Programme, Jamaica Association on Intellectual Disabilities, Jamaica Autism Support Association, Jamaica Down’s Syndrome Foundation, Jamaica Society for the Blind and the Promise Learning Centre.
These funds will be used to make necessary infrastructural and developmental upgrades, providing scholarships for needy students, getting the necessary specialised training for teachers and caregivers and addressing other needs specific to each organisation.
The pledges, which are expected to go viral, are expected to encourage major support for the 5K and in turn yield more funds for these organizations, where teams work tirelessly each day to assist Jamaica’s most vulnerable group.
Jean Lowrie-Chin, Chairman of the Digicel Foundation Jamaica, also made a personal pledge of $50,000, noting “the joy is incomparable, when special need individuals, with the right education and therapy, become independent and the self-reliant”.
Over 10,000 participants lined up at the start of last year’s 5K run, helping to raise $5 million for five organizations. This year, Digicel has a target of 13,000 participants in their sights, and are encouraging persons to come out in their numbers to run, walk, wheel or join the fun run, all for Special Needs.
Sponsors of this, the seventh staging of the Digicel 5K Night Run includes Running Events Jamaica, Red Bull, Jamaica Producers Group, Urban Development Corporation, Express Fitness, Logo Stitch, Honey Bun, PROComm Limited, Main Event, KSAC, National Solid Waste Management Authority, WATA and GraceKennedy.
Kingston, Jamaica – Friday August 18, 2018
