Irwine Clare, OD, founder/chairman, Team Jamaica Bickle

News Americas, PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 24, 2026: Caribbean Diaspora organization, Team Jamaica Bickle, (TJB), is deepening its commitment to Jamaican student-athletes at the Penn Relays with a significant expansion of its incentive program for 2026, increasing prize support and broadening opportunities across both track and field events.

Building on the success of last year’s launch, the organization, founded over three decades ago by Irwine Clare, Sr. OD, will once again award prize money to Jamaican high school boys’ and girls’ teams that win the prestigious Championship of America 4×100, 4×400, and 4×800-meter relays. Each winning team will receive a $1,000 USD contribution directed to their respective schools.

For 2026, the program is expanding beyond relays to include key field events. Incentives will now cover the high school championship discus, shot put, triple jump, and long jump, with the top-performing Jamaican high school boy and girl in each event earning a $1,000 USD donation to their school.

The initiative also marks a new step forward with the introduction of incentives for tertiary institutions. Two $1,000 USD prizes will be awarded to Jamaican college teams, reflecting TJB’s growing focus on supporting athletes throughout their academic and athletic careers.

All funds awarded through the program will be directed toward each school’s nutrition program – a core pillar of Team Jamaica Bickle’s mission to support student-athlete health, recovery, and performance beyond competition.

This year’s expanded effort has been made possible through continued partnerships, along with new support from the Burton–Hutchinson Family Fund, which contributed an additional $5,000 USD to enhance the program’s reach and impact.

“The Burton–Hutchinson Family Fund is proud to support Team Jamaica Bickle’s School Nutrition Program,” said Julie Hutchinson. “This investment reflects both our belief in the program’s continued success and a personal connection to its impact. Our family’s journey was shaped by similar opportunities that empowered our patriarch, Dr. Gladstone ‘Fluney’ Hutchinson, to pursue significant scholar-athletic achievement. We are committed to helping ensure the next generation has access to that same foundation.”

“At Team Jamaica Bickle, nutrition is at the heart of what we do,” said Clare, Snr., Chairman/CEO of Team Jamaica Bickle. “Proper nutrition is essential to performance, recovery, and overall well-being. By directing these funds to school-based nutrition programs, we are making a direct investment in our student-athletes, ensuring they are properly fueled to compete at a high level and succeed beyond the track.”

Team Jamaica Bickle also extended its appreciation to its sponsors – Second Round Foundation, Grand Slam, ON, and the Burton–Hutchinson Family Fund – as well as supporters whose contributions continue to sustain and grow the initiative.

As the Penn Relays wraps up today, the expanded program underscores the organization’s role not only in supporting Jamaican athletes on race day, but in strengthening the foundation that allows them to succeed long after the competition ends.