(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Several business entities in Antigua and Barbuda have thrown their support behind the fourth staging of the Annual CARICOM Road Race set for Sunday 29th June 2008 in that same twin island.

The annual 10K Run which has attracted local sponsors such as ABI Financial Group, Anjo Wholesale, Scotia Bank, Digicel, Hadeed Motors, and Sagicor forms part of the activities to mark the Thirty-fifth Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and will be staged just prior to the start of the Twenty-ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.

“The tremendous importance of corporate involvement in the promotion of sport and wellness as they relate to the development of societies must be highlighted. It is they who can provide the support upon which positive developmental milestones can be achieved,” opined Mr John Campbell, CARICOM Secretariat’s Deputy Programme Manager for Sports Development

The event is being staged under the theme Run for life…Exercise your right and assumes heightened significance as it seeks to promote physical activity in In light of the Port—of-Spain Declaration in which CARICOM Member States Committed to supporting actions and initiatives aimed at addressing the alarming prevalence of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in the Region.

According to Mr Campbell, “this year, the Race is being used as a platform to raise further awareness of the need for all citizens of the Community to engage in physical activity on a regular basis as a pathway to the promotion of Healthy Lifestyles.”

As is customary, the Race which is set to start at 7:00am will attract female and male participants from CARICOM Member States, visiting Tourists, and school children from the Host Country; and will be coordinated by the Ministry of Sport and the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat.

The CARICOM female and male winners of the Race which begins and ends at the Antigua Recreation Ground will be presented with their prizes and trophies during the Opening Ceremony of the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government on Tuesday 1st July 2008.