TORONTO — Sunwing Foundation is spreading goodwill one basket at a time after partnering with Sisters Keeper Elite Basketball to help 100 kids in Jamaica prepare for the upcoming school year.

The non-for-profit Sisters Keeper includes athletes from the Canada Elite Ontario Basketball women’s team, who not only will be participating in this year’s Caribbean Hoop Fest in Montego Bay from Aug. 17-22, but will also be taking time off the court to give back.

Toronto homegrown athletes like Aaliyah Edwards, Rebecca Demeke, Latasha Lattimore and Shyanne Day-Wilson will take part in a basketball camp at Montego Bay Community College for local children and aspiring athletes, who each will receive a backpack filled with books, school supplies and athletic gear. The team will also get the chance to play against the women’s National Team, top U19 team and college team during their time in Jamaica.

“Since 2012, Sisters Keeper Elite has worked to give young women the chance to develop their skills in basketball and steer them towards being contributing members of the community,” said Patrick Shaw, Founder, Sisters Keeper Elite Basketball. “Providing skills workshops and helping young women achieve their basketball dreams is at the core of our organization.”

This donation is the fourth initiative to take place since the launch of Sunwing Foundation’s Flying Start program in March 2018. The first, in partnership with emergency response charity GlobalMedic, sent 43 boxes of school supplies and donated reading books to the island of Barbuda. The second, in partnership with Books Give Us Wings, sent gently-used and new children’s books to Jamaica. The third sent 250 backpacks filled with gently-used children’s books, school supplies and other necessities with Toronto-based supermodel Stacey McKenzie to Jamaica schools via Sunwing Airlines in April.

“The Sunwing Foundation is committed to supporting youth and education projects in the destinations that we serve,” says Stephen Hunter, CEO of Sunwing Travel Group. “It’s an honour to be able to support these young and talented women, as well as connect them with young, local aspiring athletes. This partnership only further embodies Sunwing Foundation’s determination to help young people to succeed in both their education and personal development.”

For more information go to sunwingfoundation.com.