TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Sunwing Foundation’s Flying Start initiative, Sunwing has partnered with Sisters Keeper Elite Basketball to give kids in Jamaica a summer camp experience and help them get ready for school by providing them with backpacks filled with school supplies. The event took place during Caribbean Hoopfest basketball which ran from August 18 – 22 in Montego Bay.
Players from Sisters Keeper Elite Basketball team from the Greater Toronto Area, who had travelled down to compete in the tournament, took time out to run drills and coordinate hosted activities for the kids. The basketball camp provided a unique experience for students from Spicy Hill Early Childhood Institute in Trelawny and Robin’s Nest Orphanage in Montego Bay.
The event was the first summer camp experience for many of the children who attended. The over 150 children attending the camp received athletic jerseys and backpacks full of school supplies donated by the Sunwing Foundation, to ensure that they started off the new school year right. They also had the opportunity to watch rising basketball stars from across North America and Jamaica play as part of the tournament. The Sunwing Experiences local team provided transportation and day-of support for the event while the team from Royalton White Sands and Royalton Blue Waters served lunch to all participants.
Angela Williams, Principal of Spicy Hill Early Childhood Institution in Trelawny, commented on the impact this event had to the many students in need, “It’s really important for the children to have all the tools they need to go back to school and these days parents find it difficult to get all the materials. We would like to thank Sunwing Foundation for seeing these challenges, supporting the parents and investing so much into our children.”
Founder of Sisters Keeper, Patrick Shaw, also noted the importance of giving back, “I thought it was very important for our team of girls to see how much we often take for granted, where small things like backpacks make all the difference in the world to these children in Jamaica. Seeing the smiles on all the kids’ faces is all the girls are talking about now. We’d like to thank Sunwing Foundation for their support in collecting book donations and providing the jerseys and backpacks.”
This was the fourth initiative to take place since the launch of the Flying Start program which encourages youth education and development. “This partnership with Sisters Keeper truly embodies Sunwing Foundation’s determination to help young people to succeed in both their education and personal development,” says Stephen Hunter, CEO of Sunwing Travel Group. “It was an honour to have been able to participate in such an event and provide children in need with an opportunity to enjoy youth sports and have the necessary tools for a successful school year.”
For more information on the Flying Start program, please visit www.sunwingfoundation.com.
For more information on Sisters Keeper Elite Basketball, please visit https://www.sisterskeeperelite.com/.
About The Sunwing Foundation
A charitable initiative established by the Hunter family, the Sunwing Foundation reflects the Sunwing Travel Group’s enduring commitment to the support and development of youth in the communities where it operates in the form of project funding or the transport of humanitarian aid. The Sunwing Foundation passes on 100% of the charitable donations it raises to the communities that need it the most, funding educational and skills development projects to provide a direct, impactful, and sustainable improvement to quality of life for years to come.
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