Hundreds of children feted at Briana Williams' annual Christmas treat in Montego Bay

By Sports Desk December 22, 2022
Briana Williams gifting a child from Paradise during her annual treat in Montego Bay on Tuesday. Briana Williams gifting a child from Paradise during her annual treat in Montego Bay on Tuesday. Contributed

Hundreds of children from Paradise and its surrounding communities in Montego Bay to get Christmas gifts from Olympic gold medalist Briana Williams during the third staging of her annual Christmas Treat on Tuesday, December 21.

Williams, who now trains in Jamaica, feted children at the Paradise Community Centre from 10am to 3pm. The children enjoyed playing on bounce-about rides, a Santa Village, a games screen and gifts from Digicel.

Grace Foods provided boxed lunches, beverages and snacks to each child. 

"For the last two treats, we had to deliver the gifts to each home wearing masks because of the pandemic,” Williams said.

“It's nice to host a fun day and interact with the community. This is what makes Christmas special for the children.

“Special thanks to my sponsors Digicel, Grace Foods and KIG Jamaica for making this a reality for the last three years".

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    Coach Johnson collecting competition spikes from Juliet Campbell on Friday.

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    Johnson anticipates a 60-40 split in favour of York Castle due to its larger team size and higher number of potential qualifiers for Champs.

    Garvey Maceo’s coach, Tatiana Smith, echoed similar sentiments. The school received about a dozen pairs of spikes, including specialized ones for jumping events. She highlighted the impact of the donation on her program, which operates in a school where track and field is not a dominant sport.

    “This will help us a whole lot because over the years we have had to seek outside sponsors for spikes, as most of our students can’t afford them,” Smith said. “We won’t have students sharing spikes anymore. With what we have now, each athlete will have a pair of spikes for themselves.”

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    “It is something that would be ongoing and as an Olympian, she is looking forward to seeing how that impacts us positively as a school.”

    Campbell has quietly supported the community for years but is now moving toward a more structured approach. “I do stuff in the area, privately, but now I am branching out with a foundation, helping and doing more with the community and the kids there. This is just kind of an initiation to test the waters to see what direction I’m going.”

    Her commitment to giving back stems from her upbringing and the example set by her mother. “I have helped so many persons through my mother (Ms Lorraine). I remember there was even a child who had a disability and needed some special shoes. I paid for the shoes. My mother takes money and cooks for the elderly, takes food for the shut-ins. I have paid medical bills, school fees, you name it, I have done it in the community.”

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    Campbell’s concerns extend to the youth in Shooters Hill, where she sees opportunities for intervention. “I really don’t like what I see when I drive up there. The young people seem so lost, they’re just hanging out and that can’t be good. I know that there are opportunities in the country for these persons to develop themselves to gain skills and to earn, but the motivation doesn’t seem to be there, so I am going to try to inject a little positivity and energy.”

    Campbell is determined to uplift the community that shaped her. “I am looking forward to going in and working with and developing our community,” she said.

    The Kids Fest and Community Yard Sale represents just the beginning of Campbell’s ambitious plans, and her commitment to Eastern Kingston is sure to inspire others to follow her lead.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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