Kingston, 8 November 2025 (JIS) - The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport will be coordinating fundraising initiatives such as the I Love Jamaica Telethon and Concert series, to support Jamaica’s recovery efforts, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The ‘I Love Jamaica Telethon’, presented by Red Stripe and powered by Digicel, will take place on Sunday, November 23, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, announced the details of the activities during a media briefing held on Thursday (November 6) at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices.

“The need is great, and we must answer the call to show care, compassion and love by using our gifts and talents to make a difference in the lives of those Jamaicans who have been worst affected by hurricane Melissa,” Minster Grange said. 

“In this regard, we have mobilised the men and women of our creative and sports sectors towards the national hurricane relief effort. We intend to leverage the power of the creative and sports sectors to source the necessary resources to assist our brothers and sisters, particularly those in the western parishes,” she added.  

The telethon will be a made-for-television event that will be broadcast live on CVM TV and TVJ and streamed across multiple local and international digital platforms. 

“Throughout the Telethon, we will be uplifted by performances from some of our most loved artistes including Chris Martin, Masicka, Alaine, Tarrus Riley, and many others. Music is the heartbeat of our people, and it will be the heartbeat of this recovery effort.  The music will remind us that even in our hardest moments, Jamaica’s rhythm, our courage, our faith, and our resilience, never stops,” she noted.

Sports icons such as Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Asafa Powell are expected to be part of the Telethon, even answering phones as donations and/or pledges come in.

“I invite you to tune in to the Telethon and make a donation.  Every dollar raised will go towards hurricane relief.  We appreciate every contribution from each member of our national family, including our corporate citizens and we look forward to your contribution,” she said. 

Minister Grange invited persons to make donations through the official disaster relief and recovery website, supportjamaica.gov.jm.

“Everything that is raised will be registered on that website and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will have oversight of donations and funds that will be contributed to this effort,” she said.

“In the weeks ahead, the ‘I Love Jamaica’ concert series will take our message of love and renewal across the globe. I have been heartened by the feedback we have received for this concert series in major cities including London, New York and South Florida. Each city event will celebrate Jamaican culture through music, sport, and storytelling towards a single purpose of raising funds to assist with hurricane relief here in Jamaica,” Minister Grange added. 

The concerts will showcase both veteran and contemporary Jamaican talent, along with international collaborators.

The series will begin in London on Thursday, November 13, at KOKO Camden featuring Boy George of Culture Club, Ali Campbell of UB40, Emeli Sandé, Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay, Bitty McClean, David Rodigon and several others. There will also be a mega concert at the O2 in London on December 21, 2025.  The concert at the O2 will feature UB40 and Culture Club, among other artistes.

Miami/Miramar will host a concert on December 7, led by Roger Lewis of the legendary Reggae band Inner Circle. International Reggae superstar Shaggy and Sharon Burke are also exploring other opportunities for that area.

New York will host its ‘I Love Jamaica’ concert on December 12, at UBS Arena, and will be produced by Bobby Clarke of IRIE JAM. Additional concerts are being explored for Toronto, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. Serbia has also expressed an interest to host a ‘I Love Jamaica’ concert.

The proceeds from the ‘I Love Jamaica’ series (Telethon and Concerts) will go towards assisting the national hurricane relief programme.

Damian Marley and Ghetto Youths International, and other friends of Jamaica, are also putting together a series of fundraising entertainment events in the US to raise funds for the relief efforts. 

Additionally, the Ministry is in talks with the Jamaica Football Federation to host international friendly games featuring the Reggae Boyz in the United States and the UK to raise funds.

Caribbean Premier League and Chris Gayle are also partnering to raise funds for the cause. 

Minister Grange also invited persons to sign up on the National Registry of Volunteers to join in the recovery effort.

“Whatever you can contribute, we want you to sign up,” she urged.

Meanwhile, the Minister informed that a religious and faith-based taskforce comprised of the Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches and faith-based organisations led by Bishop Herro Blair, will be providing counselling support for citizens who have been traumatised and have lost loved ones to the storm.

“Hurricane Melissa may have shaken us, but it did not break us. We will rebuild and emerge even stronger. In the spirit of compassion and collective strength, I invite every Jamaican, wherever you are in the world, to join us on this journey to rebuild lives and renew hope. Let us show the world what ‘One Love’ truly means and that though small in size, the strength of Jamaica lies in our people,” she said.

END