Sports
Jonathan Ramnanansingh
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THREE scholarships with a combined value at over $68,000 headline this year’s Walke Street Emancipation Committee Freedom Run on August 1 (Emancipation Day) in Sangre Grande, as organisers use the event not just to commemorate the past, but to invest in the future.
Organiser Montsho Masimba said the 2025 edition of the popular 5K will go a step further by offering full CXC scholarships to three young people, ages 17 to 22, who have not yet attained a full certificate.
The race, which starts and ends at Walke Street, is part of a broader community upliftment effort aimed at reaching school-leavers, drop outs and and at-risk youth.
“This is what we’re trying to do now as an organisation – pull one or two youngsters off the streets and see how we could help,” said Masimba.
The scholarships are being provided by the Sangre Grande Educational Institute (one full-year scholarship) and New Butler Associate College, based in Port of Spain, which will offer two full scholarships.
Applicants must register under the scholarship category, and Masimba is urging secondary schools to spread the word to students and past pupils.
As part of the day’s theme of recognition, awards will also be given to a local sports club for its contribution to youth and community development and a deserving woman in the community, under a new initiative called the “Uncrowned Mother” award, which honours someone who has raised and cared for children who are not biologically her own.
“We’re celebrating our emancipation by remembering our past and investing in our people,” Masimba added. “It’s not just a run – it’s a movement for education, recognition, and culture.”
The 5K runs off from 4 pm. The cut-off time for registration is 3.30 pm, so interested runners are advised to be registered well before. Participants can also register on Saturdays and Sundays at the Sangre Grande Market (9 am – 5 pm) or via the Walke Street Freedom Run TikTok page, where the Google registration link is available.
Cultural festivities begin from 2 pm, Masimba said, including drumming, poetry, steelpan, drama, singing, massages, a plant show, and an art and craft display.
Masimba anticipates a turnout of 400 to 450 runners, with registration priced at $40.
