- Contributed
Special Olympics Jamaica chairman Dr. Carlton Davis (left), president of the Special Olympics Jamaica Athletes Council Mervyn Smikle (second left), Digicel CEO Seamus Lynch and chairman of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Sen. Supt. Sidney Henriques (right), discuss plans during the briefing to announce Digicel's $5 million sponsorship in the Digicel boardroom.
Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
THE JAMAICA Special Olympic Association (JSOA) received a major financial boost for the 2003 World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, at the Digicel's boardroom in New Kingston on Thursday when Digicel announced a $5 million sponsorship of the team to the Games.
The sponsorship is the JSOA's largest and chief executive officer (CEO) of Digicel, Seamus Lynch, said Jamaica's performance at last year's Winter Games made it easy for his company to get on board.
"In the Winter Games last year the athletes wowed the entire world with their accomplishments which were remarkable considering the climate that they were from," Lynch said.
"From all indications they are set to take home more medals at next year's event and we wanted to play our part in making their goal a reality. I'd just to ask them to leave some of the medals for the Irish athletes," Lynch said.
"We are absolutely thrilled to be supporting our Special Olympians, who continue to do Jamaica proud year after year," he said.
Lynch went on to say that as part of his company's partnership with Special Olympics Jamaica, Digicel staff members would be serving as volunteers at several events being staged by the organisation.
The World Games, which are being staged outside of the United Sates for the first time, will run from June 21-29.
Replying on behalf of the Special Olympics Jamaica, chairman Dr. Carlton Davis said that ever since entering Jamaica, Digicel had shown its unwavering commitment to helping to uplift Jamaican life through investment and through support of worthy causes such as Special Olympics.
He also expressed optimism that the partnership between Special Olympics Jamaica and Digicel would continue well into the future.
