Doing Good and Having Fun, Jamaica-style
Six years of community development in Jamaica
The 6th Annual Spike It Up! Beach Volleyball Tournament, a community development fundraising event, is August 29th, 2009.
In 2003 two United States Peace Crops Volunteers began serving local communities in the great parish of Trelawny, Jamaica. From beautiful white sand beaches, sprawling sugarcane fields and rolling Cockpit Country hills to the mighty Martha brae river and every community in between, the two gained an in depth understanding of the people, culture and environment of Jamaica. Their love of Trelawny and its people and their desire to see the area flourish has been the motivation behind the projects and efforts the two have been undertaking since joining forces in 2004.
The organization Mystic Rhoads Productions (MRP) was created by these volunteers to carry out community development initiatives in Trelawny and the organization seeks to provide Jamaicans with educational opportunities, healthy lifestyles and a natural environment they can be proud of. Donations to worthy causes, educational scholarships, business opportunities, upgrading of public facilities, equipment donations to schools, environmental cleanups and sporting event stagings, including the Spike It Up! Beach Volleyball Tournament, are some of the ways MRP has contributed to the development of Trelawny.
The Spike It Up! Beach Volleyball Tournament, held at Burwood Beach Trelawny, provides a great opportunity for volleyball players from across Jamaica to showcase their skills and gives hundreds of sports fans an exciting and entertaining day at the beach. In addition to providing a good time to players and fans, the Tournament raises funds to support community development projects in Trelawny. As MRP's original development project, the Tournament meets the organization's mission by promoting educational opportunities, healthy lifestyles and environmental conservation. The future of the Tournament has tremendous potential to establish itself as an international weekend event involving players and sponsors from throughout the Americas. With an annual increase in players and spectators since the Tournament's inception, MRP hopes to raise $3,000 US towards each year's selected community development activity.
On August 29th Trelawny's premiere sporting event looks to once again support the people of Trelawny. This year is set to be the biggest staging yet with sports, food, music, bar, giveaways and prizes making it a memorable day at the beach for the entire family. Local community development will come through an environmental beach cleanup and educational development. Volunteers traveling from the United States will be working alongside Jamaican volunteers to conduct a thorough cleanup of Burwood Beach. Funds raised from the Tournament will be used to provide educational scholarships for students in Trelawny.
Fans can expect the best beach volleyball players in Jamaica at Burwood Beach. Affiliates of Jamaica Volleyball's Out and Bounce Beach Volleyball Circuit are regulars at the event. Members of the Jamaica Defense Force, GC Foster and local high schools will be looking to knock off Rooms (Ocho Rios) and the UWI Rebels, last year's men's and women's professional division champions.
As usual, the MRP massive is coming out in full support of the Tournament. Dozens of volunteers are coming down from the United States to assist in staging the event alongside traditional partners Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, JBW Red Face Estate Rum, Western Sports - Montego Bay, JNBS - Falmouth, The Jamaica Volleyball Association, Red Bull, The Trelawny Co-operative Credit Union and Jamaica Beverages. Organizers are always looking for people who want to have a positive impact in Jamaican communities. Please visit www.mysticrhoads.com to find out how you can participate in the 2009 Spike It Up! Beach Volleyball Tournament.
If you cannot be at the Tournament but still want to support MRP visit The baldorf Charitable Foundation page to make a donation.