MEMBERS OF the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force Company Sergeant Major Davio Robinson (with torch), Sergeant Elfeso Harris (left) and Staff Sergeant Andre Duhaney run with the CARICOM 'Torch of Unity' and CARICOM flag at the Harbour View roundabout yesterday. They are cheered along by students of the St. Benedict's Primary School who were called on to greet the runners. The torch is on its final leg in Jamaica, after going through all member and associate member states of CARICOM. -Junior Dowie photoDOZENS OF flag-waving school children lined the roadway at the Harbour View roundabout yesterday to welcome the Caribbean Comm-unity's (CARICOM) 'Torch of Unity' which arrived by airplane on the final leg of its CARICOM run.
The students, from the Donald Quarrie High, Harbour View and St. Benedict's Primary schools welcomed the procession by singing the National Anthem, and trailing behind three runners who had completed a quarter of a mile on the first leg of the journey.
And while many were not sure what the symbol meant, shouts of 'hooray for Jamaica' permeated the air.
Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade K.D. Knight had accepted the torch from Air Jamaica flight attendant Stacey Duncan who in turn presented it to Company Sergeant Major Davio Robin-son, of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force. It was to have been presented to Minister of Sport, Portia Simpson Miller yesterday evening, during a ceremony at the National Stadium where the national senior and junior championships are now on.
The Torch of Unity run is one of the activities scheduled to commemorate the 30th anniversary of CARICOM. The run is designed particularly to involve the youth and to heighten appreciation of a caring community. It will be delivered to incoming Chairman of CARICOM Prime Minister P.J. Patterson at the 24th Heads of Government meeting scheduled for Montego Bay, St. James later this month.
Before then, the Torch which has passed through every member state of CARICOM would have gone over the island stopping at the St. James Cathedral Square, St. James; Ewarton and Moneague in St. Catherine; Marcus Garvey Monument, Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay in St. Ann; Duncans and Falmouth in Trelawny, and back to the Corporate Area next week where it will be at Sabina Park for the opening day of the Sri Lanka vs. West Indies test match.
The torch run started in Trinidad and Tobago where it was lit by Prime Minister Patrick Manning on February 14 at the Inter-Sessional meeting of CARICOM.
It is intended to heighten awareness of the integration movement and to involve as many representatives of the various sectors of the community at the national level including young people and the sports community.
