Over $2 million back-to-school vouchers distributed in Best Dressed Chicken country

Over 400 students have benefited from book vouchers worth $5,000 each as a back-toschool incentive from the Best Dressed Chicken (BDC) to ensure that they are able to access the materials needed to continue their schooling at home.

In addition, the company began work at the Spring Gardens All Age (SGAA) School to upgrade their computer lab.

Spring Gardens in St Catherine is where the BDC production plant is located and is also where several chicken farmers operate.

“Back packs did not seem to be the best option this year. If children are staying home, the need is different and with many people struggling to make ends meet in this era of COVID-19, we wanted to ensure that our farming communities would gain some reprieve from our gift this year,” stated Dave Fairman, vice-president, Best Dressed Chicken.

Community representatives from Mccook’s Pen, Spring Village, Bodles and Free Town, collected vouchers on behalf of the students and dispatched these vouchers within their communities.

Charmaine White, community representative for Mccook’s Pen noted, “Normally we bring the children to the company office and we have a little celebration with them and they get to collect their school bag. This year, COVID-19 prevented that, but we are so glad to receive these vouchers. Everyone in the community is so thankful.”

The restoration of the computer lab at the SGAA School is also a part of the company’s back-to-school programme this year. The project is expected to be completed in October and includes the installation of new air conditioners, desks, computers, monitors and more.

“The computers were outdated and many of them don’t work at all anymore. Even with the students being out, now our teachers will be able to come in and use the lab to access the Internet as needed. We are very grateful for this,” noted Chambers-bedward, principal of SGAA.

As part of the back-toschool celebration, the Best Dressed Chicken will be selecting, throughout the day, 10 of its social media followers to receive $5,000 book vouchers.

Teachers at Spring Gardens All Age School receiving baskets from Best Dressed Chicken representatives.

Randy Finnikin (left), executive director of Spring Village Development Foundation, receives book vouchers for students of the Spring Village community from Danah Cameron, Jamaica Broilers Group public relations manager.

Representative of Mccook’s Pen Citizen’s Association, Charmaine White and Jamaica Broilers Group public relations manager, Danah Cameron at the back-to-school handover of book vouchers to the Mccook’s Pen community.

Students at Mccook’s Primary and Infant School on Old Harbour Road continue distance learning due to the rising cases of COVID-19 across the country.