Jamaican Olympian Honored In New York

Posing for a group picture following the presentation of awards at the COJO 21st Annual Scholarship Gala at the Hilton New York, JFK Airport on Saturday, December 5 are l-r: Carl Stuart of Caribbean Airlines, COJO Corporate Service Award; Madge Warren, COJO Distinguished Service Award; Trevor Smith of Tower Isles, accepting the COJO Visionary Award on behalf of Patrick Jolly; Veronica Campbell-Brown, COJO Humanitarian Award; Orville McKenzie and Donald Vernon, Esq., Community Service Awards. (Photo: Margot Jordan)

By NAN Sports Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Dec. 8, 2015:  Jamaican-born Olympian Veronica Campbell-Brown has received the COJO 2015 Humanitarian Award in New York City.

Campbell-Brown was presented the award on Saturday night, December 5th at the 21st Annual fundraising gala of the New York based Jamaican charity, Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc. at the Hilton New York, JFK Airport.

COJO Founder & Chairman Gary Williams presented the Award to Campbell-Brown. In accepting the award, the decorated Olympian expressed her thanks to COJO while lauding the work of the organization and its mission.

Rounding out the 2015 honorees were Madge Warren, COJO Distinguished Service Award; Patrick Jolly, COJO Visionary Award; Orville McKenzie & Donald Vernon, Esq., COJO Community Service Awards; and Caribbean Airlines, COJO Corporate Service Award. Over 250 patrons attended the anniversary gala affair which was attended by Ralph Thomas & wife Sharon, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Rev. Canon Calvin McIntyre, political consultant Basil Smikle and a number of other officials.

For over two decades, the volunteer-driven organization has supported a number of institutions in Jamaica as well as the United States.  Among them, the Alpha Boys’ Home, Glenhope Place of Safety, Marigold Child Care Centre, City of Refuge, St. Augustine Place of Safety for Boys, Musgrave Girls’ Home in Jamaica; and in New York, the Jamaica, Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life.