Our Story
We are Team Jamaica Bickle, Inc. (TJB), a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Our main office is based in New York, with its affiliate chapter, the Philadelphia Organizing Committee, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our mission is embodied in the motto “Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors.”
Founded in 1994 by Irwine G. Clare, Snr. OD. and Blare Stoddart, TJB has supported athletic teams from Jamaica, the West Indies, and other Caribbean islands. TJB has played an active role in the development and care of the athletes through its hospitality initiatives, which have served as a necessary and enriching program for the athletes. Our sponsorship helps to reduce the cost to our athletes, their families, and their schools as they travel to compete in the Penn Relays.
In 1999, TJB became a participating sponsor at the Penn Relays and the first Jamaican organization to do so. Our organization’s pioneering work has brought recognition from the Penn Relays organization, which resulted in the Jamaican flag being flown at the Relays, the first for a foreign country. Over the years, the organization has received numerous proclamations and awards from several local and national entities for its philanthropic services.
Now, we continue to support the athletic teams arriving from the Caribbean, as well as extending help to student-athletes studying in the United States or abroad. TJB provides a unified effort on the part of the Philadelphia community, local businesses, and other parties to provide consistent and organized support for our athletes.