State wards to receive COJO scholarships

Published: Wednesday | May 16, 2012

Three wards of the state are slated to receive scholarships from the Gary Williams-headed Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) when the New York-based non-profit hosts a scholarship luncheon in the island next Tuesday.

GraceKennedy Group Chief Executive Officer Don Wehby will be guest speaker at the scholarship luncheon, to be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The luncheon is among the activities being organised as part of the group's week-long visit to Jamaica in observance of Child's Month.

In a release, COJO said the wards who would receive scholarships are currently pursuing tertiary-level studies. The scholarships were made possible from proceeds raised from a benefit raffle, which will also see its grand drawing and the announcement of the winners during the luncheon. Sponsors of the raffle include Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Sunset Jamaica Grande, Sandals, Jewel Dunn's River, and JetBlue Airways.

Following the luncheon on Tuesday, the group will visit child-care facilities in Trelawny and Westmoreland. This year, COJO will be making presentations of computers, appliances, office equipment, and sneakers to the Granville Childcare Facility on May 23, and the Clifton Boys' Home on May 24.

Volunteer-driven

Last May, the organisation donated computers, appliances, school supplies, and sneakers to the Muirton Boy's Home in Portland, the Windsor Lodge Children's Home in Manchester, and the Windsor Girls' Home in St Ann.

Over the past decade, the volunteer-driven organisation has supported a number of institutions in Jamaica as well as the United States, among them the Alpha Boys' Home, the Glenhope Place of Safety, the Marigold Childcare Centre, the Musgrave Girls' Home, City of Refuge, Homestead Place of Safety, the St Augustine Place of Safety for Boys, Manning's Boys' Home, and the Summerfield Boys' Home in Jamaica; in New York, the Jamaica, Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life.

Williams, COJO's co-founder and chairman, said he was looking forward to this annual visit which, in recent years, has been expanded beyond assisting Corporate Area institutions to the rural areas as "there is great need to support these facilities, which are often overlooked".

The annual visit is made possible from proceeds raised from COJO's annual scholarship gala held the first Saturday in December each year in New York City.

For further information about COJO, including sponsorship opportunities, visit www.cojokids.org.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120516/lead/lead8.html