Clarendon College ‘old boy’ donates $250,000 to football team

This comes after yet another successful schoolboy football season that saw the Chapleton institution defended its daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield titles and finished runners-up to parish rivals Glenmuir in the Champions Cup.

Burnett,  a chartered accountant by profession as well as a Golden Krust franchiser in the United States, expressed his admiration for the current crop of players.

“I used to think that we would never see soccer like we saw in the late 70s and 80s, when the current coach (Lenny Hyde) was one of my idols, but watching these current players not prancing and not playing kick ball was astonishing and pleasing to the eyes. They think, they are smart, and they are bravely fearless… the ingredients of a champion,”  he shared.

According to Burnett, over the last five years, he has been observing the football programme being developed with ambitious future goals.

With one of the best football programmes at this level, Clarendon College has ensured students from all walks of life are given opportunities, an observation that Burnett said prompted him to do his part in helping them grow and continue to provide a brighter future for the youngsters.

Cognizant of the challenges being faced by the school with the footballers being unable to play on home ground as a result of the poor field quality, Burnett opines that they deserve to be playing at home in front of fellow students.

“That Joy needs to be on campus like in the old days when teams were afraid to come to us. To get there with whatever help from the government, if any, we need to have a proper go-fund-me that touches every single alumni, and if asked for just US$1 (and document a breakdown of how the funds will be spent), we can accomplish a multi-purpose complex,” he highlighted.

Using the opportunity to reach out to past students of the school, Burnett is imploring them to step up, while calling for a proper accounting system be put in place that will give them the confidence to invest back in their alma mater.

“They want to trust that we will use the funds for the right thing; they need to know, but our message must be clear,” he said.

Looking ahead, Burnett said his dream for Clarendon College is to see each and every one of the players, that elicited cheers from fans, attend some form of college and further their dreams and careers.

“I also want to see the programme stay on top, and it takes more than just a few alumni currently. It needs all of us on board who are capable,” he noted.

Burnett’s involvement in the school does not stop at football, as he also donated laptops and scholarships. This year he gave $50,000 to incoming freshmen and one each to football and cricket. He has also made a contribution to the past students association.

He also had words of encouragement for the teachers, coaches, supporting staff, and fellow alumni and supporters who do their part in giving support, whether in victory or defeat.