Fri | Jan 16, 2026

Moms fêted in a united way

Published:Monday | May 12, 2025 | 12:10 AM
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It was a family affair with Ian Forbes (standing), custos of St Andrew and United Way of Jamaica governor; joined by wife Lana Forbes (left) of Remax; daughter, Kimberley Forbes-Martin, assistant vice-president at NCB Capital Markets and UWJ chair of commu
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It was a family affair with Ian Forbes (standing), custos of St Andrew and United Way of Jamaica governor; joined by wife Lana Forbes (left) of Remax; daughter, Kimberley Forbes-Martin, assistant vice-president at NCB Capital Markets and UWJ chair of communications, fundraising & communications; and son-in-law, Davie Martin of JMMB Ltd.
From left: Three generations were represented at the Mother’s Day Brunch with mother Lorraine Cooling-Robinson, her two daughters Abbion and Ashleigh Robinson, and the girls’ grandmother, Olive Oakley.
Contributed
From left: Three generations were represented at the Mother’s Day Brunch with mother Lorraine Cooling-Robinson, her two daughters Abbion and Ashleigh Robinson, and the girls’ grandmother, Olive Oakley.
Mother and son duo Sophia Brown and Nathaniel Phillips celebrated their special bond together, stunning the crowd in the fashion show while taking second place.
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Mother and son duo Sophia Brown and Nathaniel Phillips celebrated their special bond together, stunning the crowd in the fashion show while taking second place.
Taking first place in the fashion show competition, Joleesa Courts and her mother Marcia Edwards celebrate this special day together.
Contributed
Taking first place in the fashion show competition, Joleesa Courts and her mother Marcia Edwards celebrate this special day together.
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The energy was high as 150 moms and their loved ones danced into the afternoon on Sunday.

They were taking part in a United Way of Jamaica (UWJ)-hosted Mother’s Day Brunch to celebrate the importance of the mothers, and to raise funds for their community and social development projects across the island.

The guests were treated to the sounds of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Band. They were able to capture the moment in the instant-photo booth, as well as savour a delightful three-course brunch.

Hosted by Shelly-Ann Weeks, founder and executive director of HerFlow, tributes were given to moms from their children, sharing heartfelt and hilarious stories that had the room in stitches. An impromptu fashion show highlighted the fashionable stylings of the mother-daughter pairs, and guests danced to live performances. The crowd voted for their top-three winners, with the dancing duo of Joleesa Courts and Marcia Edwards taking first prize.

The afternoon’s theme, ‘My Mother, My Heart’, emphasised the importance that mothers play not only in the daily lives of their children, but also in their wider communities.

Supporting the UWJ in putting the brunch together were Supreme Ventures Foundation, Jamalco and TransJamaican Highway, with further support from Nestlé & Armbands+.

UWJ CEO Taneshia Stoney-Dryden delivered the biggest prize of the night – a flat-screen TV, by way of a fundraising raffle.

Each mother, however, left the event, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, with a bag full of goodies and a smile on her face.