PLANTATION – As children of Jamaican parents, Kellen Crichton and Rhaina Jean-Baptiste are aware of the historic role sports played in their family’s homeland. This connection inspired them to start Goals For Growth, a non-profit organization, in 2024.
Last August, they teamed with Fi We Children Foundation in Jamaica to stage a field day for the SOS Children’s Village in St. Andrew parish. The first renewal takes place at the same location on July 25.
Sports Day for Children
Goals For Growth teams up with fellow non-profits Football4theWorld and Recovery My Kicks. They will host a sports day for children in need. The event will also help build community.
“Goals For Growth focuses on three pillars: creating lasting sporting infrastructure, providing resources, and making sure every child has an unforgettable field day. This year, we’re expanding all three,” Crichton noted.
“We’re donating a brand-new pickleball net, four professional-level paddles, and new steel benches for the soccer field at the SOS Children’s Village in Stony Hill, where the field day will take place.”
She disclosed that Football4theWorld and Recover My Kicks will provide soccer equipment and sneakers for the children.
Special Appearance by Yohan Blake
This year’s event will see a special appearance from Yohan Blake, the 2011 World Championships 100 meters gold medal winner. Soccer matches, pickleball, relays and a painting station are other features of the fun day.
Those activities, according to Crichton, will allow, “the kids to simply enjoy being kids and feel like they have a team on their side.”
The SOS Children’s Villages has three compounds in Jamaica — the first established in 1970. There are 550 SOS Children’s Villages in 130 countries, helping to care for orphaned or neglected children.
Crichton and Jean-Baptiste competed in volleyball and track and field while attending American Heritage School in Plantation.
They start their freshman year at Rice University and Florida A&M University, respectively, this summer.
