Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls will be hosting a match on Friday, December 5, at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, with part proceeds in aid of Hurricane Melissa Relief efforts.

The match, which is slated to begin at 7:00 pm, will see the girls facing off against a mixed team of elite male and female players. The entry fee is $500 for adults and $200 for children.

President of Netball Jamaica, Karen Baugh, told JIS News that the match will also serve to help the girls prepare for their upcoming games in England later this month.

“We needed to do a fundraiser for the team as well as to complete our Hurricane Melissa donation activities. The team generally has a series of practice matches when they’re in preparation for a series, and so we decided to plan one for the Friday before they leave. They will be playing what we’re calling an all-star mixed team but, generally, they practise against the men’s teams who give them the strongest competition when they’re preparing for a tour,” she pointed out.

Baugh said that the match is highly anticipated, noting that the competition is expected to be intense.

“I guess people just wanted to see the Sunshine Girls perform. They’re disappointed that we’re not having the local series, so we’ve been getting a lot of interest and a lot of calls. I expect a good crowd at the National Indoor Sports Centre,” she said.

The Sunshine Girls depart the island on Monday (December 8) for England, with matches scheduled for December 13 and December 15 at 9:00 am local time (2:00 pm UK time) on both days.

Baugh is encouraging Jamaicans to come out and support the team as well as the cause for Hurricane Melissa relief.

“Persons can get more information on our Netball Jamaica Instagram page but we’re charging a minimal cost because we want people to come out,” she said.

“[The Girls] are looking forward to the game on Friday,” she added, noting that the gates are expected to open at 6:00 pm. “I’m hoping for it to be a celebratory kind of atmosphere but with a serious mission in mind as well, bearing in mind persons who are still trying to recover from the hurricane.”