Ardenne’s Optima 5K to help fund wellness centre, hurricane recovery

The third staging of the Ardenne Alumni Foundation Optima 5K Run, set for Sunday, February 1, will be the most important and most significant of the runs to date as proceeds from the event will have a double impact not just on the school but also on Jamaica.

The launch of the event took place on the school grounds recently, where it was announced that funds raised from the run/walk event would be used to build a wellness centre as well as support Ardenne’s sister school, Westwood High School, after buildings on that school’s campus were devastated by Hurricane Melissa last October.

Flo Darby, chairperson of the Ardenne Alumni Foundation, explained the timeline for completion of the wellness centre, which will benefit not only the student population but also students who don’t attend the institution.

“We hope to start building, maybe, in the first three months of this year. We hope that we will start something, not necessarily putting down the building, the foundation, but at least start it.”

There is a push to complete the building by 2027 to commemorate a very important milestone in the school’s history. “Ardenne will celebrate 100 years next year, so this will be a great celebration. We hope to complete the building for our centenary or at least at the end of our centenary year, which is next year. We need everybody on board to make this a reality,” she explained.

Acting Principal at Ardenne High, Jacqueline Pinto, is hopeful that the financial target can be met.

“My expectation for this year’s 5K run/walk is that we can, indeed, meet the $64 million target that we need to commence and conclude the construction of a wellness centre. This is really needed in our education system so that we can help our students to develop and become responsible citizens in Jamaica so that they can contribute effectively to national productivity and development.

“Part of the proceeds from our run/walk will go to our sister school, Westwood High. They were severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa. We have been assisting them from about 2000 as their students would join us in grades 12 and 13 before they were able to have their sixth form. We also hosted some of them here during the first term because of Hurricane Melissa.

Ardenne’s most famous athletics alumnus, Brandon Simpson, was on hand to lend his support at the launch. He spoke of the importance of the mental well-being of student athletes.

“Initiatives like this are really powerful because I do believe that we don’t have a lot of support for students or athletes.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure in the school system, especially for student athletes. I think it’s really important to find a solution for that. This is going to be an awesome solution for the pressure that athletes face and students face as well,” he pointed out.

The run/walk will begin and end at the school on Ardenne Road and will take the participants from the school’s entrance onto Trafalgar Road and then in an eastward loop back to the school. The organisers are hoping to have at least 1,000 participants this year after coming close to that number in 2025.