Gatorade forms alliance with Pan Caribbean for Sigma Run

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer senior reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, February 18, 2012

PEPSI Jamaica through its Gatorade brand continues its remarkable run in corporate sports sponsorship.

In its latest move, the soft drink brand is partnering with title sponsors Pan Caribbean in the Sigma Run set for Sunday.

Apart from the Sigma Run, Gatorade, the drink that fuels Usain Bolt, has been a part of ISSA schoolboy football, the prestigious Gibson Relays and the Youngster Goldsmith track and field meet.

Pepsi's Ayanna Kirton, brand manager for Gatorade, could not put a cash value on total sports sponsorship, but noted that latest Sigma commitment has taken it to "a significant amount".

The 14th Annual PanCaribbean Sigma Corporate Run will be held at the Emancipation Park in New Kingston and the 5.6-kilometre (3.5-mile) road race will include the Wheelchair, Run and Walk races.

The 2012 charity beneficiary is Chain of Hope Jamaica in support of the development of the Cardiac Programme at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Each year between 400 and 500 children are born in Jamaica with congenital heart disease. Of these, 50 per cent require medical or surgical intervention or face a premature death.

The current waiting list for cardiac surgery at the Bustamante Hospital is at least 150 children, with 100 new patients added to the list annually.

"Sigma is an excellent opportunity for any entity or brand, corporate or otherwise to contribute to causes that are in great need of assistance," Kirton, a former journalist, told the Observer.

"The Bustamante Children's Hospital Cardiac Unit, is one entity that desperately needs all the help it can get. Gatorade has partnered once again with Pan Caribbean in support of the Bustamante Children's hospital and will be on the sidelines at this Sunday's corporate run hydrating athletes," she added.

Pepsi, which recently announced that Gatorade sales have increased, said the brand is trying to get that message across to exercisers of all ages since dehydration, especially in this warm climate, can occur quite easily.

The corporate entry fee of the Sigma Run of $55,000, entitles each company to a maximum of 75 entries in either the walk, run or wheelchair events.

Corporate teams with over 75 persons are requested to make an additional contribution of $700 per person (note that this fee applies to adults and children).

Family, friends and invited guests are allowed to participate in the PanCaribbean Sigma Corporate Run by signing up through a participating company.

However, only employees of participating companies qualify for Corporate Team and Corporate Individual Awards.

If an interested person is not with a company but have a group that wishes to participate together with a minimum of five persons, the registration fee is $800 per person. Individual race entries are accepted on a limited basis with the registration fee being $1,000 per person.