5 NEW YORK: T EAM JAMAICA Bickle (TJB) has welcomed the return of Jamaican athletes to the Penn Relays for 2022 as COVID-19 restrictions ease across the USA and the Caribbean. The organisation was well into planning mode in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic halted most sporting activities worldwide. THE 125TH staging of the Penn Relays will take place at Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania, April 28-30. Irwine Clare, Snr, in expressing his delight at the return of athletes to Pennsylvania, said: “We know that our athletes have trained hard to showcase their prowess on the international stage and must be thrilled to be back on this revered stage for track and field, not only for bragging rights, but most importantly, to secure scholarships to colleges and universities overseas. We know many of themwould have been disappointed over the two-year absence even while scaled down versions were held.” While the athletes busy themselves with competition, volunteers of Team Jamaica Bickle and Caribbean Food Delights - with whom they have been in partnership for over 25 years - earnestly prepare their meals. For 2022, the set-up will be different, with plans to have meals pre-packaged and available for pick-up by team managers at the hotel or on location at the relays in order to minimise contact under COVID-19 protocols. Most schools make use of the coordinated services and hugely discounted accommodation rates negotiated by the organisation for what is considered the team hotel. Assistance is also given with ground transportation, including daily shuttles to the stadium, and a physiotherapy team, led by Dr Thien Dang-Tan, is on standby to provide the much-needed service to the athletes. As is customary, withweeks to go, the organisation is knee deep in planning, with a slew of fundraising activities. The highlight will be a luncheon to be held on Sunday, April 24, 12 noon to 5 p.m., at the Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury NY. Noted Olympian and educator Vilma B. Charlton, OD, will be honoured with the Pioneer in Athletics & Exemplary Leader in Sport Award. Other honorees are Stephen Drummond, Esq; Dawn Warren, Esq., David Warren, Esq., and JoAnne Squillace, Esq. Contact 718-523-2861 or email teamjamaicabickle@gmail.com. Team Jamaica Bickle welcomes return of athletes for Penn Relays THE WEEKLY GLEANER | APRIL 7 - 30, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS JAMAICA-BORN DR Mary Anne Chambers, a former Ontario cabinet minister, has been named as the University of Guelph’s next chancellor. IN A release, the university noted that Chambers was unanimously elected chancellor by the university’s senate during its April 7 meeting, and will be installed during a ceremony in June. “Mary Anne Chambers embodies our university’s purpose and promise to ‘improve life’,” said U of G president Dr Charlotte Yates. “She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. She has worked tirelessly tomake higher education accessible and inclusive for everyone and to improve circumstances for children, youth and families, especially in racialised communities in Canada and around the world. Mary Anne is the perfect choice for our chancellor.” After immigrating to Canada from Jamaica with her husband and two young sons in 1976, Chambers held progressive roles with Scotiabank and eventually served as senior vice-president. She took early retirement in 2002 and ran for public office the following year. She was elected to the Ontario legislature as a Liberal in 2003 and appointed minister of training, colleges and universities and then minister of children and youth services. “I have always been passionate about education as being the door to opportunities for a better quality of life for individuals, their families, communities and, ultimately, our entire world,” Chambers said. “This university has so much to contribute to the achievement of the ambitions of the people of this province, our country and beyond, given its areas of specialty and its long-standing commitment to sustainability in its broadest sense. I am truly honoured to be chosen to serve the University of Guelph as its chancellor.” Among her honours, she was named to the Order of Ontario and has received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals, the Prime Minister of Jamaica’s Medal of Appreciation, a University of the West Indies ViceChancellor’s Award and a YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction Award. Chambers is currently a governor of Canada’s International Development Research Centre, a senior fellow at York University’s Glendon School of Public and International Affairs and is the special advisor for the City of Markham’s anti-black racism strategy. Mary Anne Chambers CONTRIBUTED Dr Mary Anne Chambers named chancellor of the University of Guelph
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