City of Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Hazelle Rogers, accompanied by Commissioners Gloria Lewis and Sandra Davey, welcomed the Jamaican IAAF World Youth Athletes into the City of Lauderdale Lakes on July 7th.
Team met at MIA
The group flew into Miami International Airport as their first layover. Team members and officials were met by Mayor Rogers and other community members with travel tour bus transportation. On their way to Fort Lauderdale International Airport, escorted by the Mayor and the Commissioners, the team visited city hall in Lauderdale Lakes. Following the visit, the team left for Dubai on to Nairobi, Kenya for the 2017 IAAF World Youth Championships.
“I am extremely proud to have the pleasure to greet the young athletes from my native country and show off our wonderful city to the group,” said Mayor Rogers. While in the Lauderdale Lakes, the Mayor accompanied the group to a quick tour of the City Hal. She also hosted them for lunch before leaving for the Fort Lauderdale Airport.
IAAF World Youth Championships
The IAAF World U18 Championships (formerly named the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics up to November 2015) is a biennial global athletics event. It comprises track and field events for competitors age-17 or younger. The event is organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and was first held in 1999.The World U18 Championships are not to be confused with the World U20 Championships, which are for athletes who are 19 or under. Several Olympic Gold Medalist like Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt, Americans LaShaun Merritt, and Carl Lewis have competed and become nationally recognized by participating in these competitions. The Jamaican group is scheduled to compete from July 12th—July 16th.
Third Jamaican Mayor in Lauderhill
Lauderdale Lakes is home to one of the largest Caribbean-American communities in Florida. Mayor Rogers is the third Jamaican to serve as the city’s mayor. She was the first Jamaican elected to office in Florida when she was elected as city commissioner in 1996. She served until 2008 when elected to the Florida House of Representatives. There she served the limited two terms. She was elected mayor in November 2016.
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