From Florida with love

Three 17-year-old students from St Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States (US), may have found the perfect itinerary for teens travelling to Jamaica after managing to combine education, philanthropy and fun during their recent trip to the island.

Chloe Humbles, Adriana Taylor and Rhea Adams, accompanied by Rhea’s mother, Gina Adams, president of the Legend Star Foundation, collectively spent several weeks in Jamaica. Their travels took them to St Ann, St James, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Kingston and other areas, while ensuring that their goals were met.

Rhea arrived in Jamaica on July 1 to shadow neurosurgeon Dr Franz Pencle as part of her preparation for a career in medicine.

“My main purpose was shadowing Dr Pencle, so we went to Savanna-la-Mar and we went to Kingston,” Rhea told The Gleaner. “I want to pursue a medical career, so I shadowed him for two weeks. It was really lovely, I learned a lot. I kind of know a lot from my pre-med class I took last year but I learned so much more than I ever thought I would.”

The other young women arrived on July 16.

Before coming to Jamaica, the three teens used the Double Good Popcorn Company’s online platform to raise funds by selling popcorn, receiving half of the profit from everything they sold.

Adriana said the fundraising process was a bit challenging at first but turned out okay in the end.

“I was nervous about the fundraising because I wasn’t too sure about meeting our goals and things like that, but I think we got the hang of it after a bit and then also, before the trip, I had no clue what to expect from Jamaica, because it’s not like a typical place where you go to vacation or to visit, but I think it’s such an amazing experience because there’s so much culture here,” she said.

“We’ve done so many beautiful things, like visit tourist places in Jamaica, some of the most unique places on Earth, probably,” she added.

“I’ve been enjoying it,” Chloe acknowledged of her time in Jamaica.

“I’m used to boating and going around, like, mostly in The Bahamas. Here is very similar in terms of islands, like the beach. I’ve learned about the culture and different foods. I’ve done more this week in terms of activities than I’ve ever done in my life, it’s very fun.”

But, how much money was raised?

“We raised a total of US$600,” Adams disclosed. “US$200 went to the Mustard Seed Community of Blessed Assurance, and US$400 to the Hope Teaching Health Clinic in Montego Bay.”

Outside of the monetary donations, several footballs and basketballs, along with bags of candy and balloons, were also donated to students at the Lethe All-Age School in St James. The students were on summer break but turned up at the school for the special treat.

There was also a visit to Black River and other storm-ravaged areas in western Jamaica as Adams collected material for her online magazine, Home Sweet Jamaica.

The journey also took the group zip-lining at Mystic Mountain and for sumptuous meals at Miss T’s Kitchen, both in Ocho Rios, St Ann, before they headed back to St James and eventually flew home. And this is only part of the story, as they all did so much more while in Jamaica, much of it for fun.

Jamaican connection

No, the teens did not just get up out of the blue and decide to come to Jamaica. The connection is Gina Adams and her daughter Rhea.

Gina is the daughter of former tourism minister Francis Tulloch, while Rhea is his granddaughter. The family spent years in Lethe, St James before relocating to St Ann, where they also lived for several years before moving to Florida.

While living in St Ann, Adams was active with the Thread Foundation and Home Sweet Jamaica magazine. The magazine had folded when she migrated but was rebooted on August 5 last year – Tulloch’s birthday – as a tribute to the lawyer and politician, who transitioned in June 2022.

The Thread Foundation, which focused on helping children, is no more, but the elder Adams is now president of the Legend Star Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by former footballer Mark Gonzalez to develop young people through sports, arts, music and culture.

The Legend Star Foundation provides scholarships, mentorships, physical and mental-wellness resources, and educational support.

“Actually, I repurposed this foundation, which used to be the AJAH Foundation, operated by Lorna Williams, and she retired basically and handed it over to me and I repurposed it. So we did a name change but everything else – we support health and education – we’re just doing it through arts and culture and sports.”

The fundraising efforts by the three teens and the donation of sporting goods fell under the umbrella of the Legend Star Foundation, which will continue to support Jamaica in the future.

The group has returned to Florida but took wonderful memories with them.

For Rhea, revisiting Lethe, especially after the hurricane last October, was special. However, education was the priority during this visit.

“The most prominent memory would be shadowing Dr Pencle for the two weeks that I did,” she told The Gleaner.

Both Chloe and Adriana were visiting Lethe for the first time, and the rural community left a lasting impression on them.

According to Chloe: “I think it’s cool seeing Lethe, I thought going to the school and giving the bags to the children is cool because like, where I’m from, it’s not really a thing that you can just go knocking on your neighbour’s door and stuff, but, as soon as we pumped up the balls, the kids, probably like 10 of them, all started playing soccer.”

And, for Adriana: “There’s not a specific moment but probably being in the nature; like when we were in Lethe and were surrounded by the river and places like that, that was so beautiful. And it was nice to see all the people united and it’s sweet to think how Rhea used to live there and how different it is because of the hurricane.”

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com