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WESTERN BUREAU:

Hotelier Adam Stewart, chief executive officer of Sandals Resorts International, has committed $6 million to this year’s staging of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run (JSMCR), which will be held in Montego Bay on Sunday, May 3.

Speaking at Tuesday’s launch of the 10th annual staging of the event, named in honour of his late wife Jill, Stewart said the run – introduced in 2013 to provide financial assistance for students in western Jamaica – holds deep sentimental value. “For a long time, Jill had a huge love for running and a belief in running, and she was a trained educator, a preparatory school teacher, and Jill’s whole life was about community,” he said. “It is a huge honour for us as a family to have her name on this run.”

He explained that Sandals has contributed $3 million to this year’s staging and that he would personally match the sum. “Because it is our 10th staging of this event, I personally would like to double that and give $3 million on top of it,” he said. Stewart added that private-sector leaders “want to associate ourselves with progress, purpose, and people that are doing the right things for the right reasons.”

Jill Stewart, who died in 2023, was a long-time supporter of the run – formerly known as the MoBay City Run – and was a multiple-time winner of the event’s 10k race before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stewart noted that the JSMCR continues to play an important role in Montego Bay, promoting health and community development alongside its educational mission. He said these goals are especially important in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating passage on October 28.

This year’s staging aims to raise $10 million to support students from five high schools and five tertiary institutions in western Jamaica. The high schools include Cambridge High School and Herbert Morrison Technical High School in St James; Rusea’s High School in Hanover; Belmont Academy in Westmoreland; and Maggoty High School in St Elizabeth. The tertiary beneficiaries are the University of the West Indies Western Campus, the University of Technology Western Campus, Montego Bay Community College, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, and the Caribbean Maritime University’s Western Campus.

“The backbone of this event is education, and also supporting education and those who have less opportunities than many of us to allow them to thrive,” Stewart said. He added that his passion for education comes from seeing its impact within Sandals’ workforce of 20,000 team members across ten Caribbean islands. When people are given opportunities through education, he said, “they go to the next level.”

Stewart also highlighted the run’s wellness focus. “Without our health, we really have nothing more in front of us, and this run is a healthy do-good feel-good activity that drives endorphins,” he said. The event, he added, strengthens the sense of community in Montego Bay. “Everywhere you go, and at every event, just like today, it feels like family, and that togetherness will allow us to overcome any of our obstacles, including Hurricane Melissa, which we are moving upward and outward of.”

editorial@gleanerjm.com

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20260312/sandals-backs-2026-jill-stewart-mobay-city-run-6m

The post Sandals backs 2026 Jill Stewart MoBay City Run with $6m appeared first on MoBay City Run.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Adam Stewart has provided a fillip to the 10th staging of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run with a $6-million sponsorship of the event scheduled for Sunday, May 3 in this western city.

Speaking during the media launch of the event at S Club in Montego Bay Tuesday, Stewart said that this year’s sponsorship represents a 100 per cent increase over last year’s donation by Sandals.

“Because it is our 10th staging this year, I personally would like to double that,” Stewart announced.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the announcement, elated event conceptualiser Janet Silvera said she was pleasantly surprised by the amount of the sponsorship.

“I was shocked! Sandals Resorts, Sandals Foundation, Sandals have been good to us from day one. From 14 years ago, when we said we were doing a run for education, that was one of the first organisations to tell us ‘Yes,’” she said.

“And all they have done is to improve on where they started. I think they started out being the highest sponsor with $700,000, and then they moved to $1 million. Last year they gave us $3 million; this year, $6 million. Them double it! What more could we have asked for?” she said.

Silvera said the capital injection signifies that SRI believes in the event.

“This type of sacrifice, and care, and consideration that the organisation has for what we are doing, it is obvious that they respect what we’re doing and they believe in what we’re doing. They know that this is a credible run and that their money is going into the right hands — and for me, it has literally made my day. Made my day!” exclaimed Silvera.

During the 2024 launch, the then MoBay City Run was renamed in honour of Jill Stewart, Adam Stewart’s late wife and one of the event’s biggest supporters before she passed. On Tuesday the hotelier noted that Silvera initially asked for five years of support, “[but] she can have us as long as she will have us”.

“It is a huge honour for us as a family to have her [Jill’s] name on this run,” said Stewart who is also executive chairman of the Observer.

Silvera spoke of the progress made since the run was renamed.

“The best thing we ever did was to dedicate our run to the name Jill Stewart. She has brought us so much luck, so much generosity, so much kindness from the business community. People who knew Jill knew her compassion and understood the importance of having this legacy run for her. [They] have been supporting us big time, and so we have been able to help more people as a result of her name being added to the race. So, we look forward and we are excited to continue for another five years after the five-year run ends,” she told the Observer.

She said $12 million of the funds raised from last year’s event was donated to those in need, and the goal is to donate at least $15 million this year.

“This 10th staging of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run is different. This year is not only a celebration, it is a mission. In 2026 we are committing to directly invest $10 million into education, assisting 10 institutions. Five of those are high schools that were severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa, and the other five are the tertiary institutions we have supported from the very beginning,” Silvera announced.

The Category 5 hurricane ravaged mostly western parishes last October.

“We also know that rebuilding schools cannot be done by one organisation alone so today we are issuing a call — a call to the private sector, a call to foundations, a call to Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora: Adopt a school; stand with these institutions that are still struggling to recover; help us rebuild the spaces where dreams begin,” she added.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon supported her call, saying, “the goal is urgent because the cost of inaction is high”.

“When schools are compromised, the risks multiply: learning loss becomes entrenched, youth disengage, and social tensions rise. Restoring classrooms and the institutions that socialise our young people is therefore a civic imperative,” the mayor said.

“As Montego Bay marks its 45th year of city status we must decide what kind of city we will be. Will we be known only for our beaches and festivals, or will we be known for our capacity to nurture every child, to rebuild institutions, and to stand together in crisis? The MoBay City Run answers that question: We are a city that invests in people, that measures success by the futures we secure for our children,” he added.

Vernon also hailed the move to bring the run into the heart of the city as “symbolic and strategic”.

“When runners fill our central streets, the message is clear: Education belongs at the heart of public life. The route through our city is a living metaphor: Recovery must be visible, collective and central to our identity. The sight of thousands moving together through the city centre will be a powerful reminder that civic life is sustained by shared purpose,” he stated.

During the launch a number of private sector organisations were also honoured by event organisers.

The theme of the 10th Jill Stewart MoBay City Run is ‘Run for Recovery… Run for Education’.

The event has handed over $45 million towards education since its inception.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/11/sandals-pumps-6-million-2026-staging-jill-stewart-mobay-city-run/

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The announcement was made by the founder of the run, journalist and philanthropist Janet Silvera, who was speaking at the 2026 launch of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run at the S Club in Montego on Tuesday.

The organisers of the event also saluted their many sponsors and specially recognised some who have supported the event over its 10 years of staging.

Among those specially honoured for a decade of support were Sandals, Riu, S Hotel, Cover Me Up Tents, BCMG Insurance Brokers, Rainforest Seafood, Goddard Catering Group, and Dr Barbara Salmon Grandison. Also specially awarded for support to the event was Union Dental.

“Today is not just the launch of another race, ladies and gentlemen. Today marks 10 years of purpose, 10 years of community and 10 years of investing in the future of western Jamaica,” Silvera said.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/11/1m-investment-in-journalists-welfare-fund-as-jill-stewart-mobay-city-run-marks-10th-year/

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October 16, 2025

Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon has announced that the proposed transformation of the Montego Bay Sports Complex into a true multi-sport facility is now awaiting final approval from the Ministry of Local Government before moving to the next phase.

The plan envisions the development of facilities for swimming, tennis, netball, football, and track and field, creating a home for athletes in western Jamaica to train and showcase their talents. Vernon said the initiative is being pursued through a public-private partnership involving corporate sponsors and the Montego Bay community.

While speaking at the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run Champions of the West ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday, Vernon said that after years of limited impact from previous efforts, this new collaborative approach aims to deliver lasting results, with the ministry ensuring due process is followed before the project advances.

The complex in Catherine Hall opened in 2010.

“We have started a process now with the ministry,” Vernon said. “And the ministry is doing what the ministry does — abide by the procedures and ensure that due process is followed. So as soon as we have done that, we’ll move into the next phase, which is to ensure that our athletes in western Jamaica have a home and they have a stage to showcase and develop their talents.

“What we have started in ensuring that the Montego Bay Sports Complex becomes a true multipurpose sports complex will be done.”

Vernon expressed concern that western Jamaica has lost its energy for sports, due to various reasons, including lack of encouragement.

“And that is why I’m happy that the team [Jill Stewart MoBay City Run] has seen it fit to identify young talents here, spotlight them, sponsor them and encourage them to participate and continue to develop even further,” Vernon said.

During her presentation Ashley Anguin, chair of administration for the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, called for more investment in Montego Bay.

Launched in 2014 by Montego Bay journalist Janet Silvera, the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run is a 10K/5K charity run/walk event in honour of late philanthropist Jill Stewart, and held in Montego Bay. The event has raised more than $34.5 million in scholarships for students and institutions in western Jamaica. Guided by the motto: ‘We Run for Education,’ the event continues to transform lives through access to learning and opportunity.

Ten students from schools across western Jamaica were recognised for their outstanding growth in sports. They are D’Aire Patterson of Herbert Morrison, for basketball; Sanjay Seymore of William Knibb Memorial, for track and field; Carlyle Tinglin of Cornwall College, for football; Damien Daley of Cornwall College, for cricket; Ajani Williams of Irwin High, for track and field; Jade Fearon of Mount Alvernia High, for tennis; Giana Murray of Mount Alvernia High, for track and field; Kayden Brown of William Knibb, for track and field; Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High, for track and field; and Suraj Guwalani of Herbert Morrison, for swimming.

“The essence of the city run was surrounding two social aspects of our society, health and education, and now to see sports being added to it. That’s very commendable,” Vernon said.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025/10/16/montego-bay-sports-complex-upgrade-awaits-final-ministry-approval/

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Ten student athletes were recognised for their outstanding achievements, and shining as a rising star in sport, during the inaugural awards ceremony at Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday.

Guwalani, from Herbert Morrison Technical High, and Shanoya Douglas from Holland High, walked away with $100,000 each, along with the JSCMR COTW/Montego Bay Convention Centre Champion Boy Trophy, and JSCMR COTW/WATA Champion of the West Girls Trophy, respectively.

"For our swimmers in the west, this recognition is a reminder that we are not forgotten," said Guwalani.

"An event like this is very significant, and there is a need for it to continue. It's a motivation for all athletes, and we need this," he added.

Guwalani, who is the SailFish Swim Academy Open champion and bronze medallist at the Carifta Swimming Championships, is arguably the most accomplished young swimmer in western Jamaica. Additionally, he is an outstanding student leader at his school.

PROPER FACILITY

According to Guwalani, there is need for the development of a proper sporting facility for western Jamaica that includes a 50-metre swimming pool.

"Our western stakeholders are knowledgeable of the work being done by the athletes and the need for greater support from western Jamaica," he said.

Seeing himself as an inspiration, the 15-year-old swimmer said the award is impactful for young athletes.

"Our athletes needed this encouragement at this time, and I am thankful to the organisers for seeing the need to recognise our own athletes from the west," he stated. "Not only am I honoured, but I am also motivated to continue in my swimming pursuits.

"I am sure, too, others are encouraged," Guwalani said, noting that with every sport it takes discipline to achieve success.

Douglas, the Top Sports Girl of the Year from Holland High, said she is elated to have been recognised.

"At every rocky road there is a smooth road at the end. I am excited, honoured and would encourage the other young athletes to continue working hard."

MOST PROMISING

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UNDER-20 WORLD Championship bronze medallist Shanoya Douglas and CARIFTA swimming medallist Suraj Guwulani were the toast of yesterday’s inaugural Jill Stewart Montego Bay City Run Champions of the West Awards ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in St James, walking away with the Sports Girl and Sports Boy of the Year titles for 2025.

Douglas, who recently transferred from Mushett High School to Holland High School, which are both based in Trelawny, is one of the most promising female junior athletes in Jamaica today, based on her exploits on the world stage, the CARIFA Games, and the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athltetics Championship, where she won the Class Two 100m and 200m earlier this year.

Guwulani, a student at Herbert Morrison High School, the Blue Marlin Swimming Open Champion and bronze medallist at the CARIFTA Swimming Champions, is arguably the most accomplished young swimmer in western Jamaica today. Additionally, he is an outstanding student leader at his school.

According to Ashley Anguin, conceptualiser of the Champions of the West Awards, the event was designed to highlight the accomplishments of junior sporting personalities from western Jamaica while indicating to the youngsters that they are being noticed and that great things are expected of them going forward.

Douglas and Guwulani walked away with $100,000 each alongside the Jill Stewart City Run/WATA Champion of the West Girls Trophy, and the Jill Stewart City Run/Montego Bay Convention Centre Champion Boy Trophy, respectively.

The other eight contenders, who made the shortlist and who were all recognised with trophies and $50,000 in cash each, were as follows: D’Aire Patterson, Herbert Morrison High School’s exciting basketballer; Sanjay Seymour, the national Under -20 200m champion; Carlyle Tingling, Cornwall College’s outstanding goalkeeper, who is also excelling in basketball and track and field; Damien Daley, Cornwall College star batsman and captain; Ajani Williams, a former track and field star at Irwin High School, who is now a student at GC Foster College; Jade Fearon, of Mt Alvernia High School, who is the number-one ranked Under-14 tennis player in Jamaica; Giana Murray, Mt Alvernia exciting female track star who represented well at the Penn Relays; and Kayden Brown of William Knibb High School, the captain of her school’s track team and a gold-medal winner at the annual Western Athletics Championship.

The guest speaker at the event, respected track and field coach Julian Robinson, spoke about the importance of young athletes creating a balance between sports and academics while striving for excellence, emphasising the importance of hard work and dedication.

“Greatness does not come from wishing. It comes from working hard ... It is okay to make mistakes because it is how you learn and get better. What is wrong is giving up,” Robinson said. “Don’t be worried if success does not come quickly because everybody doesn’t come good at the same time.”

Montego Bay’s Mayor Richard Vernon and Senator Allan Bernard, who both brought greetings, endorsed the event, while highlighting sports as one of the vehicles to steer youngsters away from anti-social behaviour and other debilitating vices, which are not needed in a well-ordered society.

Vernon, who has been a long-standing friend of sports in Montego Bay, playing pivotal roles in the sponsorship of the St James Under-13 Netball Competition and creating the path for Montego Bay United FC to use the Montego Bay Sports Complex as their home venue in the Jamaica Premier League, promises to do all in his power to ensure that the stadium, which has lost it synthetic running track to wear and tear, is fully restored.

According to him, he is looking at the facility being used for swimming, tennis, futsal, football, and track and field in the not-too-distant future.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20251015/douglas-guwulani-cop-jsmcr-sports-boy-and-girl-awards-out-west

Ashley Anguin, Chairperson, Jill Stewart MoBay City Run Champions of the West committee (centre) is flanked between Shanoya Douglas, Sports Girl of the Year for Track & Field from Holland High School, and Suraj Guwalani, Sports Boy of the Year for Swimming from Herbert Morrison Technical High during the inaugural Jill Stewart Mobay City Run Champions of the West Awards ceremony at Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday, October 14, 2025

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A FATHER with his two-year-old son in his arms walking a marathon was always going to catch eyes.

According to Reality White, the act of walking the five kilometres of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run on Sunday at the Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, with Amir in his arms, was about sharing precious moments and not about the shutter clicks.

White, a lab technician at the University of Technology, Western Campus, who was participating for the second time, said walking with his son in his arms was worth the difficulty it posed.

“What made this experience so special to me was sharing the experience with my son. Doing it with my son added a whole new layer to the day. I had to walk with him in my hand the entire time, which made it tougher, but it was also really special,” White told The Gleaner.

“I knew it would be challenging, but I knew it would have been worth it in the end. The experience was amazing, the atmosphere, the people and just being a part of something positive made it all worth it,” White said, after clocking 51 minutes,.05 seconds in the 5K walk male category.

The ninth staging of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run had a record-breaking turnout, with more than 6,000 participants in attendance.

According to White, the experience for little Amir was enjoyable.

“He was excited, curious and full of smiles most of the way. However, when the race was finished, that was where the real excitement started for him, as he was running up and down the park having so much fun.” White, who finished 1,249th out of 2,260 males, said.

Acknowledging the importance of taking part in the event, White said he wanted his son to have a full-on experience.

“I wanted to show my son the value of participating in community events. It felt good to be part of something bigger, while also making memories. My reason for doing the event was to stay active and support a good cause. I would most definitely encourage others to do what I did.”

The Jill Stewart MoBay City Run was established specifically to raise funds to support struggling university students hungry to fulfil their aspirations of attaining tertiary level education.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20250508/dad-shares-5k-walk-two-year-old-son?state=#slideshow-1

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Ashley Anguin - STAR Writer 

An overwhelmed Ray Simpson choked up in tears when asked about the record-breaking turnout at the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, named after his beloved daughter, and wife of tourism mogul Adam Stewart on Sunday.

The post Jill Stewart MoBay City Run unleashes wide range of emotions appeared first on MoBay City Run.

AN OVERWHELMED Ray Simpson choked up in tears when asked about the record-breaking turnout at the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, named after his beloved daughter and wife of tourism mogul Adam Stewart, on Sunday.

Initially, an emotional Simpson was reticent about commenting on the event, which would force him to face the fact his daughter was no longer alive, but found the strength to offer thanks to the more than 7,000 participants who hit the streets for the event at the Harmony Beach Park.

“Jilly, my daughter, would be so happy to see all the people who came out. This was her joy, and I know her legacy will continue to carry on in Montego Bay with this run,” he said.

“I want to thank everybody for turning out, and I miss her so much,” he offered, conceding that his emotions would get the best of him if he continued speaking.

His son-in-law and Caribbean hotel icon Adam Stewart picked up, underscoring how important the run was to his late wife.

“I’m just completely overwhelmed. When you look out at the sea of people, the support from all over Jamaica, as far as Kingston, Portland; people from the Cayman Islands, Canada, England who flew in specifically for the event. I have a huge sense of gratitude,” he said.

Garfield Gordon, winner of the male 5k run, originally a native of St Thomas, a parish on the other end of the island, travelled from Portmore to run. Even after two years’ absence from the race, he said he believed from the start that the race was his.

“I’ve been doing some long running. I train six days a week, and I have been doing some marathon training for a few months. So I knew I was in the best shape to come out here and win,” he said.

Meanwhile, 10k male winner Kamar Thomas travelled to Jamaica from the US for the first time in order to participate in the run. Like 10k winner Tonya Busse, he was overjoyed with his triumph.

Corporate winners were RIU Resorts Jamaica,with more than 1,000 participants registering. Second place was Sandals/Beaches Resorts with over 800 and third, Rainforest with close to 300 participants.

“It is a race that I always wanted to run, and coming to Jamaica and running it for the first time and winning, it is really an awesome feeling,” offered an elated Thomas.

“For this race, I knew that I had to run my personal best to win, based on the other competitors, so I just prepared myself to run my personal best and it paid off.”

“I really enjoyed it. It was a nice course, nice views of the ocean, where you can jump right in after you finish. I suffered a little bit when I was getting tired at the end, but it was not too bad. It was a good energy, good vibe,” outlined Busse, a teacher from Kingston.

‘Why I Run’ was the theme this year for the ninth staging of the run, which aimed at highlighting the deeply personal reasons people decide on pushing through the pain of a 5k or a 10k.

Once an avid participant in the race, Jill Stewart died from liposarcoma in 2023, and the run was rebranded in her honour.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20250506/jilly-my-daughter-would-be-so-happy

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