RalRosa Foundation marks fifth anniversary - Surpasses J$23m for healthcare initiatives in Jamaica, Washington

WASHINGTON, DC:  
RalRosa Foundation has raised more than US$150,000 (approximately J$23.4 million), since its establishment in 2022, to improve access to quality healthcare in Jamaica and the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, marking a major milestone as it celebrated its fifth annual fundraising gala.
Proceeds from this year’s event will support the Golden Spring Health Centre in St Andrew, Jamaica; the procurement of medical equipment for primary healthcare clinics damaged by the 190-mile-per-hour winds of Hurricane Melissa; and Holy Cross Health Community Clinics in Maryland.
Reflecting on the foundation’s fifth anniversary, President Dr Jacqui Watson, a Washington-based healthcare strategic advisor, said the occasion represented far more than a celebration.
“Our fifth anniversary is evidence of the power of purpose,” Watson said. “It’s proof that, when we choose to join hands together, anything is possible – we can overcome challenges, we can do good, we can do well, and together we can make a meaningful difference in our world. We are a small and growing community of dedicated volunteers, donors, sponsors, and committed partners who believe that healthcare is not a privilege for a few but rather a right and necessity for everyone. We embody the Jamaican expression, ‘likkle but tallawah’.”
The foundation celebrated the milestone during Caribbean-American Heritage Month with its fifth annual fundraiser, held on June 20 under the theme ‘Five Years of Doing Good Together’.
The event, staged on the picturesque grounds of the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC, brought together healthcare leaders, business executives, philanthropists, and community advocates committed to expanding access to quality primary healthcare in underserved communities in Jamaica and the Washington metropolitan region.
Among the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the foundation’s inaugural Healthy Spirit Award to Karen Dale, RN, MSN, chief executive officer of AmeriHealth Caritas DC, and Jamaican dentist Dr. Heather Lawson-Myers, owner of Liguanea Family Dental in Kingston, in recognition of their outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing health equity.
Accepting the award, Dr Lawson-Myers said the honour represented far more than personal recognition.
“This award is not a destination; it’s a divine confirmation that a life lived on purpose sends ripples far beyond what we can see,” she said. “It’s about standing in the current of a legacy that says your life must count for others.”
The foundation also presented its first Small Gift, Big Impact Micro-Grant Award to The New Freedmen’s Clinic, a student-run free medical clinic at Howard University. The grant will help launch the clinic’s mobile healthcare initiative.
Another first for the foundation was the introduction of the President’s Rising Star Award, presented to board member Courtni Foster, a fourth-year Georgetown University medical student from Montego Bay, for her leadership, dedication, and promise of making a meaningful impact in healthcare.
The RalRosa Foundation was established in 2022 by the children and grandchildren of the late Keith Ralston and Phyllis Rosa Watson, who both died during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Named by combining their middle names, the foundation honours their legacy by supporting organisations in Jamaica and the Washington metropolitan area that improve access to quality healthcare and lifesaving medical equipment.