Photos by Barbara Ellington/Lifestyle Editor
LEFT: Lennox Lewis poses with the 2008 International Achievement Award at Gotham Hall, in New York.
RIGHT: Chris Blackwell has a warm greeting for Olivia Grange, minister of information, culture, youth and sports at the 27th annual American Friends of Jamaica benefit gala and auction, held at Gotham Hall, New York, on November 6.

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia Grange has congratulated the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), for their selfless efforts and legacy of philanthropy on behalf of Jamaica over the years. She was the main speaker at the organisation's 27th annual New York gala and auction held at Gotham Hall in the city on November 6.

Grange said, "Nuff respect to you and you are an example for others to emulate. Jamaica thanks you for the millions of dollars you have used to help the less fortunate achieve their dreams."

The Jamaican spirit

She lauded their choice this year of selecting former World Heavyweight Boxer Lennox Lewis as the recipient of this year's AFJ International Achievement Award. Grange said Lewis deserved the award as he represented the resilience of the Jamaican spirit.

Among those in attendance were Ambassador Anthony Johnson; United States Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson; Josef Forstmayr, gala chair Manuela Goren; former ambassador Sue Cobb and her husband, Charles; Stan McLelland and J. Gary Cooper, Dr Stephen Metzger and wife, Consul General Genieve Brown-Metzger; Gary Foster, Monica Ladd, Keisha Phipps, Laura Tanna, former New York council woman Una Clarke and her daughter, Yvette Clarke, a member of Congress; Michelle Rollins, Delroy Morgan, Joan Powell, Candice Vernon and Robert MacMillan.