Founder of Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), Irwine Clare, Sr. OD.
Photo by Anthony “ER Guru” Turner
Longtime advocate for Caribbean athletes and founder of Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), Irwine Clare, Sr. OD, will be recognized with the Visionary Award from NBA star Jalen Brunson’s Second Round Foundation at the 3rd Annual Charity Golf Classic on Aug. 18 at Westchester Country Club in Rye, Upstate New York.
“This past year has been an absolute pleasure partnering with Team Jamaica Bickle and witnessing the decades of success and the culmination of your unparalleled commitment to students and athletes,“ said Jalen Brunson’s mother, Sandra Brunson, co-founder and chief financial officer of the Second Round Foundation.
“It is with great admiration and respect that we write to formally announce your nomination to receive the Second Round Foundation’s prestigious Visionary Award,“ Ms. Brunson added. “This honor recognizes your extraordinary lifetime dedication to preparing athletes across the Caribbean for competition in the sport of Track & Field on the global stage.”
“Your dedication to nurturing talent, fostering discipline, and inspiring excellence among athletes has had a profound impact not only on the individuals you have mentored but also on the broader sports community,“ she continued.
Clare said it was “truly an honor to be recognized by Jalen Brunson’s Second Round Foundation.”
“It motivates me even more to continue contributing to causes that matter — especially our athletes’ welfare,“ he said.
Over the past three decades, TJB has positively impacted individuals like Olympians Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Tina and Tia Clayton, and Daniel Cope, who, with TJB’s support, went from high school volunteer to All-American graduate at Clemson University.
Clare mentioned that TJB is creating a legacy project at GC Foster College in Jamaica focused on long-term athlete development.
“The welfare of our young athletes will always be our top priority,“ he stated.
Based in Jamaica, Queens, TJB is a nonprofit organization that supports hundreds of Jamaican and Caribbean athletes at the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Clare added that TJB provides meals, medical care, transportation, and mentorship to over 650 student-athletes annually from Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
