The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) got its financial programme off to a swift start for 2009 when it secured backing from QuickCash Money Transfer yesterday.
In a brief presentation ceremony at the company's office in New Kingston on the first business day of 2009, QuickCash, through its parent company First Financial Caribbean (Ja) Limited, made the contribution of $500,000.
While handing over the $500,000 cheque to JAAA treasurer Ludlow Watts in the presence of president Howard Aris and executive members Maxine Brown and Gregory Hamilton, the company's president/chief executive officer (CEO), Kenarthur Mitchell, made it clear it was the first of many planned contributions.
Mitchell, who identified track and field as one of the most successful sports, expressed satisfaction with his company's new relationship.
"We are pleased to be associated with the JAAA," said Mitchell, who went on to say "2008 was a great year for us in Jamaica and we felt for 2009, we have to keep the momentum up".
First donation
In August this year Jamaica's athletes, to be led by triple Olympic Games gold medalist, Usain Bolt, will challenge the world at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
"As a company we felt it was good to start the ball rolling by making this first donation for the 2009 programme," he added.
"We trust that what it will do is give other companies the motivation to get on board because as a country, we know we have to do better than what we did in 2008," he added.
Aris, who is serving his second term of head of the JAAA, welcomed the contribution while hoping the relationship will better serve track and field.
"We are very pleased to be in this sort of partnership with them now and we look forward to the continued growth of their company and also contribution to the development of track and field," Aris noted.
"This contribution, as Kenarthur said, is the first of more to come and we are only hoping he will be satisfied, Jamaica will be satisfied and all of us working together will see better things for track and field in 2009," added Aris.