For the visiting Jamaican scholastic and collegiate participants, their coaches and fans, this year’s recent Penn Relays Carnival at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field reached a sought-after crescendo, marked by a host of track and field achievements.
Jamaicans swept the medals in the Boys’ and Girls’ High School 4×100 championships, captured the High School Girls’ 4×400 championships and won the High School Boys’ 4×800 championship with a dramatic come-from-behind finish. And amazingly, Kingston College and Excelsior High School’s one-two finish in the High School Boys’ 4×400 Championship was rivaled by a thrilling 44.69 third place finish by the anchor leg of The Bullis School in Maryland.
Jamaica scholastic teams also maintained their increasingly strong presence in the field events by sweeping the medals High School Girls’ and Boys’ Triple Jump championships and scoring well in the Discus championship and other events.
Jamaica-based Grace Foods and the On sportswear company were among the corporate sponsors for some of the top Penn Relays races, and fans of the Jamaican athletes helped the 128-year-old event reach a 99,701-person attendance over three days.
From the university’s Palestra basketball facility, the 30-year-old New York and Philadelphia-based Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) hospitality organization provided its annual allocation of Caribbean food, physical and chiropractic therapy, and other services to aid the visiting athletes.
In addition to the TJB support, the musical “TJB30 Pop Up Vibes” event was held inside the stadium after the races, featuring reggae singer Chris Martin and New York’s DJ Roy of Road International playing a mix of reggae, dancehall, ska, rocksteady and soca.
For the first time, the FloTrack live streaming service covering the Relays featured Sean Phillips, a former Jamaican track athlete, among its competent group of commentators. Phillips, who now coaches the coed Awesome Power Track Club in Queens, shared his knowledge of Jamaica’s long love affair with track and field, and the island nation’s impressive history at the Penn Relays.
“This was history,” said Phillips referring to his first appearance on the FloTrack.
INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY
Though Guyana’s Indian Arrival Day marks the introduction of indentured laborers to the nation in the 1800s, visual arts, film screenings, and other artistic works will pay tribute to the “resilience” of this Indo-Caribbean population at Sunday’s “Indian Arrival: Indentured Survival” exhibition in the Bronx.
The headquarters of the Bronx-based anti-poverty nonprofit Oyate Group, at 276 Grand Concourse, will host the event that is “dedicated to capturing the enduring legacy of the Indo-Caribbean community.” The exhibition is curated by Queens-based artist Raqeebah Zaman. For more, contact Emiliano Garcia at (917) 446-7571.
GALA AIDS CHILDREN
The Issa Trust Foundation will host its “For the Children’ Gala” at the elegant Cipriani 42nd Street event space on next Saturday, featuring music stars Third World, Gramps Morgan, Luciano, and Kumar as the featured performers.
According to Paul Issa, Chairman of the Issa Trust Foundation, “the funds raised will go to complete the construction of the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center in St. Ann, Jamaica, providing general physical and mental health support for the children and teens in Jamaica’s North Coast area.” For tickets and information, visit issatrustfoundation.com
ANGUILLA FOOD FEST
The “Anguilla Culinary Experience” — an island-wide celebration of Anguillan dishes and world-famous cuisine the island is known for — will be May 23 to 26, and support “culinary and hospitality training for young Anguillans.”
Billed as “an epicurean festival celebrating life with friends & great food, the event features Anguilla’s cuisine — from local Johnny cakes and rum punch to world-class meals from the island’s restaurants. For tickets, visit anguillaculinaryexperience.com
BLACK JAZZ FELLOWSHIPS
The nonprofit Brooklyn Conservatory of Music continues to play a role in supporting musicians by presenting its annual Jazz Leaders Fellowship offering applications for a $12,500 award and access to rehearsal space. Black women or Black non-binary musicians based in New York City are eligible to apply for the fellowship. The deadline is May 15. Visit bkcm.org/jlf.