The Comets Club International (CCI) Corporate Partnership Award for 2009 will be presented to GraceKennedy Limited for their outstanding contribution and exemplary leadership in the development of Track & Field Athletics in Jamaica.
The awards presentation ceremony will be the highlight of the Annual Charity Dinner & Reunion for the Comets Club International which takes place on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 9:30 pm., at La Bella Vita Banquet Hall, in the Ozone Park section, Borough of Queens, NY.
“With a corporate vision that is second to none, the company has aligned itself with one of the most positively visible sector of human development through its sponsorship of the annual national scholastic – Boys & Girls – championships in track & field athletics in Jamaica,” noted Judith Hutchinson, President of CCI (USA), Inc.
She said that with the anticipation and expectation surrounding this year’s championship, it was no coincidence that GraceKennedy Limited and its overseas division, Grace Foods will be in the spotlight here in the USA as well.
Sharing the spotlight with GraceKennedy Limited (Grace Foods USA), will be four individuals whose performances at “Champs” in the mid to late 1970s, provided the inspiration for the formation of the Montego Bay ‘Comets’ Athletics Club in October 1977.
Three of the four competed for Cornwall College and enjoyed ‘above average success’ against their more vaunted Kingston rivals. Barrington ‘Boca’ Campbell won back-to-back titles in the 3000 meters at ‘champs’ and added silver and bronze at the Junior CARIFTA level.
Clement ‘Tino’ Bowen created quite a stir in the one lap event (400 M.), recording a personal best 46. 7 seconds. Paul ‘Pablo’ Tomlinson ran 10.5 seconds over the 100 meters while helping CC to a sixth place finish overall, at the ’77 meeting. Clive ‘Cornbread’ Walters, who was a student at Harrison Memorial High School, dominated the 400 m., on the SDC club circuit.
They will be presented with the CCI Certificate of Merit.
Past awardees included; Western Union, VMBS, ISSA, Team Jamaica Bickle and former Montego Bay businessman and sports administrator Wesmore Thomas.
