KFC’s 50^th birthday celebration continues into schoolboy football as they will be offering $50,000 for every hat-trick scored and $50,000 to the various MVPs of the Manning Cup, daCosta Cup and Champions Cup, in what is now an increased sponsorship package worth $20m.

Restaurant of Jamaica, through its brand KFC, has been a long-time associate sponsor of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Schoolboy football, which is set to kick off on Saturday, September 6.

The franchise was formed in 1975 by the Myers family, under a license from Hueblein International, and June 18 was 50 years since KFC officially opened the inaugural KFC at 170 Old Hope Road in Kingston 6.

Andrei Roper, KFC marketing manager, explained that their investment in the partnership with ISSA is $17 million in cash and $3 million in meals.

“KFC is again proud and excited to be back on board for what is sure to be another spectacular season of ISSA schoolboy football. We look forward to another season filled with drama, passion and unforgettable moments on the football pitch,” said Roper.

KFC will step up their sponsorship. Roper then pointed out that they will also include performance-based incentives that reward players and strengthen schools’ football programmes.

“Every hat-trick scored by a player in the Manning, daCosta Cup or Champions Cup will earn $50,000 for the school’s football programme of that player, along with $10,000 in KFC meal value for the player,” Roper revealed.

“In addition, the MVPs of the Manning Cup, daCosta Cup and Champions Cup will each secure $50,000 for their schools and $25,000 in meal value for themselves,” he added.

“This year is especially important for us because we are celebrating  50 years with lots of promotions, lots of celebrations.

Each season, we see the drive and determination these young players bring to the pitch.

“Our aim is to help create an environment that nurtures their growth, recognises their achievements, and inspires them to reach for the next level in football and life,” said Roper.

Fans will also be part of the action through KFC’s weekly ‘Match Score Prediction’ challenge on KFC’s social media pages, with prizes including Free KFC for a week for lucky fans who correctly predict the score of the spotlight KFC schoolboy football match of the week.