Bolt strikes gold for children's charity
Christopher John
Farley, Contributor
Bolt
NEW YORK:
The fastest
man alive is also quick to help those in need.
Three-time Olympic
gold medallist Usain Bolt is donating three signed pairs of his signature
gold shoes to charity.
The famous footwear
will be auctioned to benefit the New York-based Jamaican charity,
Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc.
The sneakers,
donated by Puma, are part of a limited edition produced to commemorate
Bolt's world record run of 9.72 seconds, set at the Reebok Grand Prix
at the Icahn Stadium early last year, prior to his history-making
performance in August at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Tangible donation
The shoes might
not help their lucky new owners run as fast as Bolt, but they will
certainly help the buyers share in a bit of his athletic glory.
Bolt's triple
win at the Olympics inspired people, especially youngsters, around
the world.
His latest donation
will do something tangible: the money raised from the sale will be
used to help fund programmes that aid children in Jamaica.
COJO, over the
last decade, has supported a wide range of institutions in the United
States and Jamaica that are dedicated to helping those in need. Those
institutions include Alpha Boys' Home, Glenhope Place of Safety, Marigold
Child Care Centre, the Musgrave Girls' Home, St Augustine Place of
Safety, City of Refuge and Windward Road Primary and Junior High in
Jamaica; and in New York, the Jamaica Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life.
Every year, COJO
hosts a gala in New York City to raise funds for scholarships for
students.
Nobody can run
as fast as Bolt. But with his charitable work, children everywhere
would do well to follow in his footsteps.
For additional
information, visit the COJO website at www.cojokids.org.
