Team Jamaica Bickle to Honor Five Time Jamaican Olympian Donald O. Quarrie, C.D., at New York Reception

New York – Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) will host its annual Pre Penn Relay Carnival Reception, on Tuesday April 12 2011 at Sullivan Hall in New York.

The reception is the organization’s lead-in to the annual Relay Carnival and brings together the media, track & field aficionados and sponsors, united in their support for the athletes. It also gives the media a chance to hear from TJB executives on plans going forward and what to expect at the annual Penn Relays Carnival.

For the Diaspora and lovers of the sport it is a
reminder to ‘up the energy’ as the athletes prepare for the annual showdown with their U.S. counterparts and perform for country, school and personal pride.

This year’s event will see Team Jamaica Bickle honoring five-time Olympian Donald Quarrie, C.D., for his numerous gold & silver medal performances on the track, which cemented his place in the annals of track and field history; his contribution to the development of track & field and for helping to propel Jamaica’s stellar reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.

Two other Diaspora based individuals will be recognized for their contribution to community; Mr Anton Tomlinson, founding member of UJAA (Union of Jamaica Alumni Associations), and Executive Director and former Chairman of the NAACP New York City Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), an enrichment program for African American and Latino high school students and Ms. Alsion
Roach of Greylock Capital Management, a successful venture capital firm that serves emerging markets, while fostering entrepreneurial ideas and investment opportunities. Ms. Roach has been particularly influential in securing investments for in her home country, Jamaica and is an ardent supporter of not for profit charities and philantrophy.

A special award will be presented posthumously to Ms. Beryl Levi of Tower Isle Patties. Tower Isle has a long history of supporting Team Jamaica Bickle.

On April 4, two of TJB’s long-term supporters, New York shipping magnates Dennis Hawthorne (Dennis Shipping) and Bob DeSouza (Trans-Continental Shippers), in continued support of Team Jamaica Bickle, will host Sponsors and members of the sports and media fraternities at the Alhambra Inn, in Kingston, Jamaica.

Speaking on the Kingston reception, Irwine Clare, Executive Director of TJB, said, “The athletes we serve are based primarily in Jamaica. Our local
sponsors and the media provide continuous, invaluable support to the Athletes and TJB, therefore it is only fitting that we demonstrate at ‘home’ our recognition of that.”

The recently launched TJB B2B 50×50 Relay Campaign will be an integral part of the event activities as TJB pushes towards its goal of bringing a core group of fifty community businesses together (an each-one-bring-one effort), to raise the targeted amount of fifty ($50,000) thousand dollars. These funds will strengthen Team Jamaica Bickle’s programs for Penn Relays 2011 thru 2012, culminating in the 2012 Olympics.

B2B spokesman, New York radio personality (107.5 FM WBLS) Dahved Levy will host the New York event.

Major sponsors are LIME, Grace Foods, Grace Kennedy Remittance Services thru its Bill Payment/Cross Border Payments, Western Union, UJAA, Tower Isle, and The Lomax Foundation.

TJB also receives support from Dennis Shipping, Trans Continental Shipping, Jamaica Air Express Couriers and Yardman Style Clothing.