Carl Spence, Gleaner Writer
Devon Williams (left) and Shamel Shaw, the Most Outstanding Boy and Girl of the Multicare Foundation's Summer Environmental and Sport Camp, show off their medals after the awards ceremony at the Breezy Castle Centre on Monday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE MULTICARE Foundation, a non-profit organisation operating in Corporate Jamaica, on Monday celebrated the successful completion of its eighth annual Environmental and Sports Camp in the form of a presentation and awards ceremony hosted at the Breezy Castle Centre, Kingston.
The foundation, which has been around for the past 12 years, focuses its attention on inner-city children with the intention of instilling self-esteem, self-respect and self-discipline through activities such as sports, the performing arts and the visual arts to children from 32 schools inside Kingston and St. Andrew and Greater Portmore in St. Catherine.
The sports camp, which was hosted at the Breezy Castle football field, sought to give participants a chance to leave what former national Olympic hurdler Keith Gardner described as a tense environment.
Main objective
"The main objective of the sports camp is to first of all ease the tension of the congested areas of Rae Town and the southside in particular," Gardner said.
The former track star who is now the foundation's sports coordinator was keen to emphasise the camp's theme: 'Chart your course, take charge of your life'.
He also stressed how the camp was more than just the basketball, volleyball, hockey and softball offered as each of the children present at the camp were taught the life goals of discipline, responsibility, respect for others, self esteem, personal hygiene and love and respect for self.
"Through determination and commitment, persons become world-class athletes so we want these children to recognise that they must have the desire and commitment to work hard to become a lawyer, for example, or do something worthwhile with their lives," he said.
The ceremony was highlighted with awards given to children for being the most helpful, most disciplined and most valuable players in each of the four sports and most outstanding campers.
Devon Williams and Shamel Shaw, both of Pink House, were awarded the Most Outstanding Boy and Girl for the four weeks of camp which started on July 24 and ended on August 14.
