Children of Jamaica Outreach scholarship gala benefits disadvantaged youth

New York Daily News - Jared Mccallister
Sunday, November 22nd 2009, 4:00 AM

From Jamaica, Queens, to the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica, the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) organization has been living up to its mission to aid young people in need. Through its programs, partnerships with other groups and its annual gala, Queens-based COJO has become a steadfast ally of disadvantaged youth.

The group will hold its annual scholarship gala on Dec. 5 at the Crowne Plaza LaGuardia Hotel in Queens. Entrepreneur Gordon (Butch) Stewart, the owner of the popular Sandals Resorts chain, will be honored at the event.

Organizations such as the Glenhope Nursery for physically challenged children, the Alpha Boys Home, the City of Refuge child care facility and the Marigold Child Care Center have benefited from the fund-raising efforts of COJO, which was founded in 1994 by Jamaica-born Gary Williams.

Health care, education and mentoring programs in Jamaica benefited from the organization's help. Here in Queens, COJO has operated after-school programs and a summer internship, and has also donated to the New York-based Leaf of Life, which helped critically ill children get to the U.S. for life-saving surgery.

Over the years, support for COJO and its efforts has grown. The organization has had Sandals Resorts, British Airways, Estee Lauder, Air Jamaica, American Airlines, Tommy Hilfiger, Transcontinental Express Shippers and Western Union among its sponsors. This year, executives of longtime-sponsor JetBlue vowed to increase the airline's support of COJO's efforts.

For information on gala tickets and sponsorship, call (888) 275-0121, or visit www.cojokids.org.