Eight-time Olympic medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was showered with accolades in Miramar on Tuesday, by county, city and consulate officials. The second fastest woman alive was given keys to the city of Miramar, keys to Broward County, and a lifetime achievement award by the Jamaican consulate. Tuesday November 16 was also proclaimed Ambassador Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Day, by the city of Miramar government.
Fraser-Pryce was in town as special guest of Miramar Commissioner Alexander Davis, who was hosting a fundraising event for the Olympian’s Pocket Rocket Foundation. Both women are alumni of Wolmer’s High School in Kingston.
Scores of Jamaicans were in attendance and based on the auction figures, $7,650.00 was raised. Attendees were also encouraged to donate at the foundation’s website, so it is likely that much more went into the coffers of the foundation.
On sale were numerous pieces of gear worn by Fraser-Pryce at this year’s Jamaica Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. The colorful wig worn at the 100m Olympic finals fetched $800.00 and was snatched up by Miramar mayor Wayne Messam. At the behest of the crowd, the mayor actually tried on the wig to much laughter and applause. Other items sold included the pair of spikes Shelly-Ann wore at Jamaica’s national championships this year, which went for $2,200.00 (bought individually) and her Tokyo Olympics two-piece suit fetched $1,900.00. Renown Jamaican artist Mark Cameron donated a painting of Shelly-Ann kissing her son Zyon after winning the women’s 100m final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships 2019. The painting went for $1,500.00
This was the first time the Pocket Rocket foundation was venturing outside of Jamaica to raise funds and it certainly won’t be the last according to Shelly-Ann. “In Florida we have a large contingent of the diaspora and to be able to connect with them is one of our main focus. We want them to know the work that we are doing in Jamaica and hopefully they will be able to partner with us. We intend to take this initiative to as many diaspora communities as possible,” she said.
“I know how it felt to sit in a space wondering what is going to happen next. Where is uniform coming from, where is my mother getting the money, what will the outcome for school next year be. So, to be able to see the foundation allowing kids not to worry about uniforms, books, lunch etc is an amazing opportunity to help. It is a service that I cannot pay for and to be able render that kind of service in a country that I believe is one of the greatest in the world, makes me fortunate. I am passionate about it, and I am praying that I will be able to do so much more with the help of partners in Jamaica and overseas.
About the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Pocket Rocket Foundation
The Pocket Rocket Foundation was created by Fraser-Pryce out of a need to assist high school student-athletes. Her personal experience of receiving financial assistance that afforded her a high school education while she competed, provided the motivation she needed to pursue a first degree in child and adolescent development to become the first person in her family to complete a degree program.
In May 2013, The Pocket Rocket Foundation had its official launch at The Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. To date 55 high school student athletes, 29 females and 26 males across 11 different sporting arenas from 22 Jamaican high school have benefited from the foundation.
The foundation takes care of everything for school including books, uniform, food, and personal care items. The foundation managers are also looking to provide PR and etiquette seminars for the athletes, to make them more comfortable in front of a mike. Recipients will also be provided with teeth cleaning through one of their partners. School is not only where it helps, however. It also focusses on communities, where the team is able to link adjoining communities through sports, to curtail the crime and the violence among youths. Additionally, they have also made donations to children and nursing homes.
Shelly-Ann gets nothing from the foundation, apart from the intrinsic benefit of knowing she is giving back, and she relishes those big happy moments. “We had one of our recipients recently becoming a pilot. He was one of the first recipient when we started in 2013. And to see the fruits of the work that we put in at the foundation and to see that realized for him, I was really excited about that,” she said with a satisfactory smile.
Challenges
But there are challenges. In her speech to the mostly Jamaican audience, she pointed out that the rate of the Jamaican dollar is having an effect on the value of the disbursements. “We have to find ways to give more because it is becoming harder for the scholarship recipients to get what they need. We are looking to increase the disbursement and that means raising more money.” Apart from her sponsors, it is difficult to get others onboard, including both businesses and individuals, she indicated. To mitigate this hurdle the decision was taken to have more functions like the one in Miramar where “we can talk about the foundation and talk about the work we are doing back home,” she said.
For her part, Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis said she was very pleased with the support from the community. “It is not very often that we get to have an Olympian among us and especially a Jamaica Olympian. I am so grateful to have been the one chosen to welcome Shelly-Ann here.
By Patrick Green
Caribbean National Weekly
