Five student-athletes on Friday received cheques ranging from J$50,000 to J$60,000 under Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s Pocket Rocket Foundation scholarship programme that rewards beneficiaries based on outstanding academic performance whilst competing and representing their respective schools in any sporting discipline.

Second-form to fifth-form student-athletes receive J$50,000 cheques while sixth-form students get J$60,000.

The awardees comprise Tafada Wright of St. Jago High School, Kimesha Beckford of Manchester High School, Anecia Taylor of Holmwood Technical High School, Olivia Petrekin of St. Andrew High School and Malachi King of Wolmer’s Boy’s School.

The presentation ceremony took place at Wolmer’s High School for Girls on Marescaux Road in Kingston where each athlete also received grocery baskets from GraceKennedy, book vouchers each valued at J$10,000 from Sangster’s Book Stores courtesy of Digicel that also provided each student-athlete with J$1500 phone credit.

They also received Hi-Lo Supermarket vouchers each valued at J$10,000, also courtesy of Digicel

The five recipients bring to 55, the number of student-athletes - 29 girls and 26 boys - from 22 high schools and competing in 11 different sports, who have benefitted from academic scholarships from the foundation since its inception in 2013 when seven students were awarded scholarships.

"The Foundation has given me a platform to effect change for young Jamaicans. I just hope to get more sponsors on board so that we can provide more scholarships. These young kids are talented and bright....they are just unable to pay their way through school," Fraser-Pryce said on her Foundation's website.

The foundation was launched in 2012 at Terra Nova where Digicel and GraceKennedy each pledged J$1 million each to kick-start the initiative.

The Pocket Rocket Foundation recently held a successful fundraising event at the Miramar Cultural Centre in Florida.