Dr Cyrus McCalla, chairman of The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI), and members of the Board earlier this month met in Jamaica for their annual Board Retreat and a series of engagements with UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles; Principal, Professor Dale Webber; faculty of The UWI, Mona and past and current awardees of AFUWI scholarships.

The AFUWI, a designated 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organisation headquartered in the United States, raises funds through its flagship annual awards gala in New York and other fund-raising activities to fund scholarships to The UWI undergraduate programmes. Several of the Board members are donors and met with some of the students and past students whom they helped to realise their dreams of a university education. At a reception hosted by Sir Hilary, McCalla presented a cheque for J$22.9 million to fund scholarships while board member Lorna Hawthorne presented one for $3.8 million from the Lowell Hawthorne Foundation.

Her late husband, Lowell Hawthorne, was a former chairman of the AFUWI.

Welcoming the visitors to his residence at College Commons, Sir Hilary said: “AFUWI has done a tremendous job of raising funds for scholarships for students of The UWI over 25 years. I want to thank Chairman Dr Cyrus McCalla and the Board for their selflessness in this regard. We respect you for your sacrifices, the efforts and hard work on behalf of our students. Our university, our students and our region have been the beneficiaries. You are not just the Foundation ‘Up North’, you are family and we do not take you contributions for granted. As The UWI prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary we pause to acknowledge the goodness around us, those of you who dedicate your lives to giving.”

Hawthorne said: “Our meeting with the students was most enlightening and gratifying. We heard their stories and how the scholarships helped them to reach their goals. The J $3.8 million we presented is the first donation from the Lowell Hawthorne Foundation Inc, set up in my late husband’s name. Supporting education was his passion.”

Omar Hawthorne, Lowell Hawthorne’s son, concurred, noting that “the vision dad had continues through this Foundation”.

McCalla summed it all up, saying: “We appreciate the opportunity to make life better for our students and their families.”