UTech Students’ Union Praised For Outreach

The University of Technology (UTech) Students’ Union members have been lauded for the contribution they continue to make to society.

The student body, which was formed 53 years ago, launched its annual ‘Tag Drive’ recently at the Papine campus in Kingston, which will benefit needy organisations.

Executive Director of the Jamaica Association on Intellectual Disabilities (JAID), Christine Rodriquez, has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Union.

“We want to thank UTech for involving us. We have been partners and beneficiaries of the Tag Drive since the inception, and we have used the proceeds to build out our schools. We have five schools touching all the parishes except Trelawny, and we are looking at building out our adult programmes,” she said.

“We have also benefitted from your tremendous volunteers at our School of Hope over the years,” she added.

Other beneficiaries of the Tag Drive include the Jamaica Association of Mental Retardation (JAMR), Correctional Services (Juvenile) and McLeod’s Basic School.

Sponsors of this year’s Tag Drive are: Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum, Reggae Jammin’, Supreme Ventures Limited, Pepsi-Cola Jamaica Bottling Company Limited (Pepsi and Ting), Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Zip 103FM, and Crown Packaging.

The JIS has been on board with the Students’ Union since July 2013, when they sponsored and participated in the summer programme, ‘Teach the Youth’.

“The JIS is pleased once again to be on board with UTech on this venture. We were a part of your summer programme and it was our absolute pleasure. It aligns perfectly with what we believe in, which is service, excellence and nation building, and we recognize that this is what the UTech Students’ Union is all about. So, we congratulate you, and we wish you all the very best for this Tag Drive,” Special Projects Manager at the JIS, Andrine Davidson, said.

For the tag drive on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, the students will be dressed in sponsored T-shirts bearing the logos of the sponsors, as well as the UTech Tag Drive logo, and dispersed across the 14 parishes seeking donations.