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Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ), through its KFC brand, is continuing its longstanding commitment to youth sports development with a $4.8 million contribution to the annual Jumpball Basketball Camp and the KFC/Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) Star Search Basketball & Life Skills Camp, two of the country’s longest-running youth basketball initiatives.

The contribution comprises $2.8 million in cash and $2 million in meals, enabling hundreds of children and aspiring ‘hoopers’ to take part in basketball training, mentorship and personal development throughout the summer. Both camps also connect participants with educational pathways while building confidence, discipline and meaningful relationships.

“For KFC, our involvement is about showing up consistently for young people,” said Andrei Roper, Marketing Manager at KFC Jamaica. “For decades, these camps have given youngsters a unique and supportive space to discover their abilities, hone their skills, learn from positive role models and begin to realise their full potential. For more than thirty years, KFC has been proud and humbled to support the organisers and coaches who have guided generations of young Jamaicans through sport.”

Jumpball Celebrates 30 Years

Now in its 30th year, Jumpball continues to provide free basketball training and personal development for children across Jamaica.

The Kingston leg runs from July 13 to 16 at the National Stadium Basketball Courts before moving into Santa Cruz, Portmore, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Mandeville. As a free camp, it removes financial barriers to entry and brings together approximately 200 to 300 children each year from different communities and backgrounds.

The annual staging is supported by approximately 40 to 50 volunteer coaches from Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States, with several returning for more than a decade. That continuity has provided generations of campers with sustained guidance and a strong community of mentors.

Rick Turner, Jumpball’s Head Coach and Co-Director, has returned to Jamaica annually for 27 years, helping to shape the camp into the longstanding youth basketball experience it is today. Turner, who also coaches Jamaica’s men’s national basketball team, said the annual visit remains one of the most meaningful parts of his work.

“I have been coming to Jamaica for 27 years, and Jumpball has truly become family to me,” Turner said. “What keeps bringing me back is seeing what the experience means to the children and the communities we visit. KFC’s commitment has allowed us to continue reaching young people year after year.”

KFC is providing $600,000 in cash and $1 million in meals for this year’s staging, allowing organisers to maintain free participation and care for campers at each location.

Alongside court instruction, the schedule incorporates personal-development exercises and team-building activities.

“The basketball brings the children through the gate, but what we want them to leave with goes much further than the game,” said William Maloney, Founder and Co-Director of Jumpball. “We want each child to gain lessons that can serve them in sport, in school and in life.”

Rohan Robinson, Jumpball’s Island Camp Coordinator, said the rural stops are particularly valuable in communities with fewer structured summer activities.

“The partnership with KFC has grown from strength to strength and has allowed us to reach more children,” Robinson said. “The rural stops give youngsters somewhere positive to spend their time, coaches who are invested in them and a chance to connect with others through basketball.”

Star Search Marks 25 Years

The KFC/JaBA Star Search Basketball & Life Skills Camp will celebrate its 25th anniversary at G.C. Foster College in St. Catherine.

KFC is contributing $2.2 million in cash and $1 million in meals to the camp, where young players receive focused basketball instruction, mentorship and life-skills training.

Over its 25-year history, Star Search has connected young Jamaican basketball talent with educational and competitive pathways overseas. Former campers Nick Richards and Samardo Samuels both secured American division one college basketball scholarships in the United States before moving on to the NBA, giving current participants tangible examples of where early coaching, exposure and sustained effort can lead.

“Reaching the 25th staging of Star Search is a proud moment for Jamaican basketball because it speaks to the consistency of the camp and the number of young players who have benefited over the years,” said Paulton Gordon, President of the Jamaica Basketball Association. “KFC’s longstanding partnership has helped us provide quality coaching, mentorship and exposure while creating pathways into higher education and competitive basketball. For the young athletes coming through today, the camp continues to show that with the right guidance, discipline and opportunity, their ambitions can extend far beyond the court.”

Together, the two camps meet young Jamaicans at different stages of their basketball journeys. Jumpball provides free instruction and mentorship in communities across the island, while Star Search helps emerging athletes pursue higher education and competitive play. KFC’s contribution keeps both pathways open for another generation.