Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), known for their longstanding support of Jamaican athletes and their commitment to the welfare of young talents, will be making a significant contribution to the safety and well-being of students and athletes in Jamaica.

Through their "Defibrillators in Schools" initiative, TJB is set to present 35 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to various schools and sports associations on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. The presentation will take place at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium, situated on the campus of the University of Technology (UTech).

The event will commence at 9:00 am and will not only involve the formal presentation of the AED units but will also include an in-person training session on how to use the AED and its importance. In addition, the participants will receive training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and be provided with a Sports First Aid Kit to enhance their readiness for emergencies.

The roots of the Team Jamaica Bickle "Defibrillator to Schools Program" can be traced back to 2014 when it was initiated after the tragic loss of St. Jago High School student, Cavahn McKenzie, at a cross-country meet in Tobago. This heartbreaking incident prompted TJB to take action, recognizing the urgent need for schools, especially at sporting events, to have access to emergency resources.

Since the launch of the program in 2014, TJB has donated over 100 AED units to schools and organizations while providing training to more than 400 staff and students. The training sessions are to be conducted by skilled nurses Delores McGregor, Sharon Thompson, and Winsome James, all of whom belong to the Diaspora Health Care Sector. They hold certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) and are members of the New York-based Jamaican Nurses Association in the Northeast Diaspora.

Apart from schools, the initiative extends to various sporting associations, including Netball Jamaica, Jamaica Volleyball, and several tertiary institutions, such as UTech, GC Foster College of Sports and Recreation, Montego Bay Community College, and The Mico University College.

Irwine Clare, Sr., the Founder of Team Jamaica Bickle, expressed their commitment to the welfare and well-being of athletes as they strive to excel in their chosen disciplines.

This noble endeavor is made possible through the support of major sponsors, including the Second Round Foundation, represented by Jalen Brunson, an NBA Point Guard for the New York Knicks, and Adelina Bernard, an Olympic Sprinter who has represented Panama, Jamaica, and Venezuela. The Jamaica National (JN) Group has also played a significant role in enabling this critical initiative that aims to enhance safety and health awareness within the Jamaican sports community.

Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) will host the third staging of their Labor of Love Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, 16 April 2023, at the Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, NY 11797.

Under the patronage of Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, the Honourable Alsion Wilson, O.D., Labor of Love will be a combination of “Celebrating Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors,” highlighting TJB’s community partnerships, saying thanks to Patricia Chin of VP Records for her Pioneering Role in Reggae Music and her steadfast support of TJB’s initiatives of Music and Sports.

The TJB Exemplary Leader in Athletics Award will be bestowed on Olympian Aleen Bailey. Bailey represented Jamaica at the 2004 Olympics in Athens Greece and 2008 Games in Beijing, China, where she was a member of Jamaica’s gold-medal winning 4x100m relay team.

Considered “The Reliable Warrior”, Bailey is known for always instilling a fighting spirit that resonated well with her team.

TJB has also revealed that for 2023 Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) will not have its signature “TJB Tent”.

Doors open at 11:30 AM and the Cocktail Hour begins at 12:00 PM sharp followed by the Program, Lunch and Dancing to follow. A surprise Guest Artiste will entertain to thrill guests. Last year the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson-Smith joined in the revelry and performance by Romain Virgo.

Their new home will be the Palestra, home of the University of Pennsylvania’s basketball teams. Located in the Carnival Village, the iconic and recently bestowed City Landmark Arena will host athletes and officials from Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Coming off a very successful return to the Penn Relays last year, one that included the officially honoured guest Prime Minister Andrew Holness, efforts are underway for TJB 29.

This year TJB will celebrate female student athletes as they take center stage on the Saturday at the Relays. They also welcome back in full support Caribbean Foods Delight, their partner who celebrates 45 years in business.

 As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1994, TJB provides a wide range of services in the development and care of the athletes and coaches at the Penn Relays through their Hospitality Initiative Program - providing meals, physical therapy, chiropractic care, mentorship, medical services, and ground transportation; as well as being forefront in negotiating subsidized hotel rates for the athletes and coaches.

Team Jamaica Bickle’s Founder and CEO Irwine Clare shares that “in excess of US$150,000 has to be raised” to assure our athletes, our ambassadors are treated well.

Team Jamaica Bickle, (TJB) has named Dr Kristal McGreggor to the Board of Directors of the organization.  She succeeds a long-standing member of TJB, Oswald Hancle, who passed away late last year.

A former student and athlete of the St. Andrew High School for Girls, where she was a member of the Track and Field team and captain of the Basketball team, Dr McGreggor’s attended the Bronx Community College where she won a full athletic scholarship to Hampton University where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

Dr McGreggor has a passion for youth mentorship. She took her first steps in this arena while still in college, when she, along with friends, Tashanna Willcock and Claudia Calder formed Camp21, an organization dedicated to the mentorship of Jamaican student-athletes living in the United States.

She also served as Director of Operations and Assistant Throws Coach for the Track and Field program for three years before taking up her doctoral studies in Sport Management at the University of Michigan.

 “It is a great honour to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB). I appreciate the confidence TJB has shown in me over the years. I fully support the vision and mission of TJB, and I am eager to contribute my knowledge and experience to advance the growth of the organization,” Dr McGreggor said. 

Based in Michigan, Dr McGreggor currently serves as an Academic Mentor and Co-founder of the Achieve A Dream Foundation through which she aims to build her mentorship initiative and assist athletes in their character development.

“She is a great asset to our board, the future and the growth of TJB. Personally, I am quite proud of her, knowing her journey, from whence she came to the pinnacle of academia. Throughout it all, service and volunteerism remained a hallmark of her being,” said Chairman of TJB Irwine Clare Snr., of Dr McGreggor.

Other members of the board are Blane Stoddart, Vincent Heath, Michelle Neil, Horace Lynch, Oswald Brown, Ayesha Hinds (Secretary), Lance Clarke (CFO), Karen Wilson-Robinson, Esq - Vice-Chair.

Formed in 1994, Team Jamaica Bickle is a not-for-profit organization, based in New York, under the leadership of Irwine G. Clare Snr and which provides much-needed support for Jamaican athletes who compete at the annual Penn Relays Carnival, held at the University of Pennsylvania.

Team Jamaica Bickle, Inc. also supports athletes, athletic and youth programs across the Caribbean and the United States.

In 1999, Team Jamaica Bickle became the first Jamaican organization to be a participating sponsor at the Penn Relays.