Jamaica Consulate General NY recognizes TJB Chairman Irwine Clare for contribution to development of Jamaican athletes

The Consulate General of Jamaica New York said on Saturday that it presented to Irwine Clare, the chairman and chief executive officer of Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), an award and citation in recognition of his outstanding leadership of TJB and its “illustrious team of volunteers.”

“Mr. Clare has served as chairman of Team Jamaica Bickle for 29 years and has been a tireless advocate for athlete development, from high school through college and beyond,” said the Consulate General in a statement. “His visionary leadership has led the Team Jamaica Bickle initiative to provide automatic defibrillators for schools, improving the safety and health of young athletes in Jamaica and the Caribbean.”

The Consulate General of Jamaica New York said the citation was presented to Clare by Consul General Alsion Wilson at the TJB village at Penn Relays in Philadelphia on April 29.

“The award is a symbol of admiration and gratitude from the Consulate General of Jamaica New York to Mr. Clare and his team of dedicated volunteers, who have had a profound impact on countless athletes and their families, transforming their lives for the better,” the statement said.

Clare – who is also managing director of the Jamaica, Queens-based Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc. (CIS) – told Caribbean Life on Monday that he was “truly honored and thankful to be recognized by the Consulate of Jamaica NY notably by Consul General Alsion Wilson for this distinguished and inaugural citation.

“In recognizing my achievements with Team Jamaica Bickle, an organization I am privileged to have worked with over 29 years, is testimony to the awesome core group of volunteers who have sacrificed and committed their time to my vision of serving our athletes, our ambassadors primarily from Jamaica and the Caribbean,” he said. “We at TJB are very proud of our brand and partnership with like-minded stakeholders and sponsors, as we endeavor to address the welfare of our athletes who continue to blaze the track and field globally.

“I am indeed grateful and vow to continue in playing my part in fostering opportunities for our young people through sports,” Clare added.

TJB prides itself in being “the leading organization in sports, providing support services for Caribbean athletes, particularly Jamaicans, who compete at the annual Penn Relays Carnival, which is held at the University of Pennsylvania, (UPENN) in Philadelphia, PA.”

TJB was formed in 1994 and later designated a 501(c)(3) organization. The affiliated TJB-Philadelphia Organizing Committee was simultaneously formed by co-founder Blane Stoddart, who now heads the affiliated Friends of Team Jamaica Bickle, also based in Philadelphia, PA.

Clare said TJB’s mission is embodied in the motto, “Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors”.

He said TJB’s services extend to a delegation of about 650 students and coaches from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Guyana and Grenada.

Over the years, Clare said TJB has welcomed and extended its services to delegations of students and coaches from the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), Bahamas, Barbados and, most recent, Belize.

He said TJB provides meals and other refreshments; physical therapy, chiropractic, mentorship and medical services; ground transportation; daily hotel to stadium shuttle airport transfers for arrival and departure; and subsidized hotel and airfare rate.

In 1999, Clare said TJB became the first Jamaican organization to be a participating sponsor at the Penn Relays.

As a result, he said the Jamaican flag became the first foreign flag to be flown at the Penn Relays, “a distinction unmatched.”

Over the years, Clare said TJB has received numerous proclamations and awards from several local and national entities.