ATLANTA, Georgia – Determined to build a facility showcasing Jamaican history in Atlanta, Georgia, the Jamaican Museum and Cultural Center (JMCC) staged a Zoom-A-Thon there on April 18. As a result, the venture raised $4,000 in pledges and donations.
The organization, formed seven years ago, hopes to raise $10 million to construct the museum. Once that goal is achieved, administrators propose an 18-month period to complete construction.
Dr Apollone Reid, president of the JMCC, was pleased the fundraising campaign finally got underway.
“Although the response wasn’t as expected, possibly due to the big Maxi Priest, Beenie Man concert nearby, the excitement generated by those who attended was palpable as persons were eager to make their pledges,” she said. “This showed their commitment and belief in the vision as we met four out of five of our targets in pledges and donations.”
Zoom–A-Thon
Several well-known Diaspora figures participated in the Zoom–A-Thon including Oliver Mair, Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami; Dr Garfield McCook, a JMCC executive; Pastor Fidel Donaldson and gospel singer Paul Blake.
Currently, the JMCC highlights key moments in Jamaica’s history, as well as the country’s culture, through its website (www.jmccatlanta.com).
Considered the mecca of black empowerment in the United States, Atlanta is home to a large Jamaican and West Indian community. There is a strong Jamaican presence in areas such as Stone Mountain and Decatur.
Reid is confident her organization’s objectives will be met.
“We are on course to achieve the goals, as this is the first of numerous fundraising strategies planned for the next three years. The presence of CG, visual artists, entertainers and other special guests provided good optics and demonstrated support for the cause,” she said.
