Penn Relays Reunion - April 2006
It is a sunny Friday afternoon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The "dryland tourists" are out in their glory. Even the dark skinned brothers are catching a tan. Cheering and "off the track" betting is taking place. No, this scene does not describe Caymanas Park, but it does lend itself to the atmosphere of the second day at the Penn Relays. This year's relays was one of the best the organizing committee of the relays has ever seen. It is the best simply because the three day attendance record was broken, and the single day for Friday surpassed prior years as well.
Despite the atmosphere and the broken records, the sportsmen from the eighties of Kingston College made the trek to "Philly." It was a joyous occasion as the faithful few converged on the city of brotherly love, to cheer on our alma mater, cheer on our country, do a bit of catching up, and most importantly raise funds for our beloved institution. While riding up to Philly from points north and south, it became evident from early on that the weekend was going to be special. The "carding" and "dissing" started early. Anyone in the vicincity was subject to attack. We knew it was going to be special because we had Valentino Ventura leaving South Florida to travel somewhere other than Dade or Broward County.
The weekend got off to an amazing start as brothers poured in from all across the United States to be at the relays. Friday at the relays reminded us that sharing stories of the past year was therapeutic for those who had gone through some rough patches. The atmosphere of fellowship was permeated by a sense of belonging and comradery. Generational gaps were bridged as old boys from as far back as fifty years ago joined with old boys from as recenlty as the nineties to embrace a common agenda; catching up and activism.
The clarion call was made from as far back as May of 2005, and the brothers responded. Some of the brothers had so much fun last year, that this year they brought their wives to experience the "Purple Power" that we as alumni feel and share with the world. The wives of alumni are at times befuddled by the connection that we have to our high school, and quite honestly, are jealous that they don't have the same connections to their high schools. To that we as alumni of Kingston College simply say, "It's a KC thing, you wouldn't understand."
Friday at the Relays saw us watching the races, reliving memories of Boys Champs, but most importantly we joined together at the close of the day's event to have dinner together. It was in this atmosphere where one comes to know what is really going on in the lives of each other. The dinner event was a powerful expression of each of us looking out for each other, and in that gathering a long lost College man came straipsing into the restaurant. None other than Mr. Andrew Shirley graced our presence as one of the brothers ran into him at the salad bar. [ More images here 
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Mr. Brian Clark who is currently on a nationwide tour promoting his new book presented autographed copies to all the brothers in attendance. This extremely unselfhish act was truly appreciated by those in attendance. Brothers all the way from Canada took part in the dinner fellowship and we all had a grand time. Upon leaving the restaurant, the venue switched to the lounge area of the lobby of the Hilton Hotel where we engaged in a good ole game of pool (billiards). We played pool and discussed strategies for assisting Kingston College. It was a good time had by all.
Saturday morning saw us rising at the crack of dawn to get ourselves together for a long day at the relays. The relays did not disappoint as we were able to see some of the world's leading athletes compete. Asafa Powell, Justin Gatlin and others were in attendance and ran spectacular races that had the crowd in attendance in awe. Kingston College made it back to the Championship of America for both the 4x100 and the 4x400, however, our performance on the track did not measure up to what we anticipated, however, the boys did us proud. Lesford Green gave us a fighting chance on the lead off leg of the 4x400, but we could not hold that lead. This young man is destined for bigger and better things, we only pray that his "handlers" guide him properly. With a running style that reminded us of Terrence "Dread" McRae he opened up almost a 30 metre lead on the lead off. It was eye popping to see how he got out. Some Americans in the crowd were still in awe that high schoolers from that tiny Caribbean island can run so fast. In our minds, we all know is the flour dumpling, breadfruit and God given talent.
This day also provided an opportunity for those brothers who had not seen each other in over twenty years to catch. Those that live on the "Rock" met up with those who are off the "Rock" and a grand time was had. Anthony "Findlay" Clarke spent the entire day with us as many of us remembered Mr. Clarke as the most avid Kingston College supporter while we were in school. If the discussion was about any sport that KC participated in, he knew. Raffick Shaw was in attendance, Dean Street was in attendance, Mr. Bryan was in attendance and so many more.
The day was a memorable one. It would probably take three or four pages to relay all that happened on that day, but after the relays ended a powerful witness to the rest of the Penn Relays took place. As all the brothers; young and old, foreigner and locals, the have and have nots came together to bless Kingston College in a special way. The group raised $2,810, to assist with the Manning Cup program for the upcoming season, however, more importantly, as a group, with hand in hand, we prayed for Kingston College. We prayed for the faculty, staff and students. We prayed for God to continue to stir us up to good works for the school, and the most effective request is that we prayed for each other. It was a powerful thing to know that brothers can come together to be a blessing to something or someone other than ourselves.
Given the growth in the attendance this year, only the good Lord knows what will happen next year. Therefore, we look forward to next year with great hope and anticipation that something special will occur. Until next year, keep the faith and be blessed.