Guyana Committee of Service donates running shoes to athletes
The Guyana Committee of Service, in its latest fundraising venture, the “running shoes programme” is helping to outfit local athletes by selling stickers with the words “I LOVE Guyana” for $250 each. The money earned from the sales is used to buy running shoes for athletes who need them across Guyana.
Leslie Black (right) with the athletes who were presented with running shoes
The organisation was founded by former athlete and current Payless Variety Store Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Joseph Ramkumar after reading a newspaper story by Sports Journalist Sean Devers on the plight of former boxing world-title contender Clive Atwell who needed brain surgery.
Since then, the Guyana Committee of Service has embarked on numerous fundraisers to aid sportspersons in need of assistance.
In a release, Athletics Coach and Guyana Committee of Service member Leslie Black noted that the organisation has continually been assisting the sports fraternity.
“We never stopped and went on in assisting the CARIFTA team over the years, assisting athletes with gears over the years – we gave young athletes in Berbice, Linden, Georgetown and on the West Coast,” he said.
“We are about to distribute to athletes in the hinterland, Essequibo and Bartica. As an athletics coach for over 30 years and training in managing Guyana/Caribbean top distance athletes, also as a (AA) national awardee, I know the importance of running for athletes.
“We are a non-profitable organisation and do different programmes to obtain funding for sportspersons and our team is made up of Eugene Noel (Chairman), Jumbie Jones, Rajan Tawari, Leslie Black, Bill Rogers and founder Joseph Ramkumar among others.”
