PHILIPSBURG:--- The Dynamics Sporting Club, the leading Track and Field club for youth in Sint Maarten, announced that it has been significantly affected by Jetair Caribbean's recent bankruptcy filing. The group of 34 people was booked to travel on JetAir to Curaçao to represent Sint Maarten at the Trupial Classics Invitational 2024. The June 18 bankruptcy filing has led to unforeseen disruptions in the team’s travel plans scheduled for July 10th – July 15th, 2024.
Preparations Ongoing
The twenty-five athletes, ranging from juniors to teens, with coaches, chaperones, and parents, have made significant sacrifices to prepare to attend this invitational for the tenth consecutive year. This regional meet with participants from Jamaica, Aruba, Bonaire, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and other countries is the culmination of the track season for these young athletes who have been training hard to represent their club and country. In anticipation of this event, the team secured new uniforms sponsored by SXM Tax, Faith FM, and The Listening Companion of Leeward Consulting Group.
Fundraising efforts to date allowed the team to complete payment of the $11,700 USD airfare just ten days before the airline filed for bankruptcy. However, the uncertainty of Jetair’s recovery has created substantial challenges for the club in performing at the Trupial Classics Invitational this year. According to head coach and president Abdul Wattley, “The Dynamics team is grateful for the support received from the community members in our earlier fundraising efforts, and our athletes continue to turn out in numbers to train for this event. So, we are still doing all we can to get them to Curaçao.”
Response and Mitigation Efforts
The Dynamics Sporting Club is actively taking steps to mitigate the impact of this bankruptcy by doing donation drives and seeking sponsorship from businesses, the Government of Sint Maarten, and all other well-intended individuals. “We are requesting your assistance to help us overcome this adversity. These youngsters have been working hard, and we cannot let them down. No contribution is too small,” Wattley said. The club is requesting the assistance of the general public to help their athletes make this trip possible.
