RIU Resorts pumps $1.5 million into Kiwanis Breast Cancer Run and Walk 2025
Published:Friday | October 10, 2025 | 12:05 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Breast cancer remains one of Jamaica’s most personal and painful battles, a disease that has touched countless mothers, daughters, sisters, and even men. It’s a fight that tests courage, drains families emotionally and financially, and demands collective strength.
It is against this backdrop that RIU Resorts Jamaica has stepped forward as the title sponsor of the Kiwanis Club of Providence Breast Cancer Run and Walk 2025, pledging $1.5 million to advance awareness, treatment, and hope for those affected.
Speaking at the launch held Wednesday morning at RIU Montego Bay, Frank Sondern, regional director of RIU Jamaica, said the partnership goes far beyond corporate branding.
“This is not just a sponsorship for us, it is a partnership with purpose,” Sondern told the gathering of survivors, Kiwanians, and community partners. “The fight against breast cancer requires collective strength. We are honoured to play our part in bringing hope, awareness, and support to those affected by this disease.”
Sondern said RIU’s seven hotels across Jamaica are united in supporting the cause, describing it as an extension of the company’s 25-year legacy of caring for the Jamaican people.
“True hospitality goes beyond world-class service to visitors,” he said. “It extends to caring for the health, wellbeing, and future of our neighbours.”
Chair of the Run and Walk Committee, Nadine Spence, shared that the event began modestly in 2010, when the all-female Kiwanis Club of Providence sold yogurt cups to raise funds for the Jamaica Cancer Society. That simple act grew into one of western Jamaica’s most impactful health awareness drives.
“We felt a responsibility to do more, to actively participate in helping women understand the importance of screening and early detection,” Spence said. “So we decided to host our own 5K run, rain or shine, every October, and 15 years later, we’re still here, still contributing, still saving lives.”
To date, the initiative has raised over $45 million, with a $15 million target set for this year. Spence credited RIU’s quick response and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) for making this year’s event possible.
“When I reached out to Mr Sondern, he didn’t hesitate. He said, ‘Sure, Nadine.’ And when I called TEF, they said the same, this has to happen,” she said.
“We couldn’t do it without partners like RIU and TEF.”
The Kiwanis Club of Providence Breast Cancer 5K Run and Walk is set for Sunday, October 26, starting at 6 a.m. in Montego Bay. Registration remains at $2,500, with proceeds going directly to breast cancer awareness and treatment programmes.
Sondern urged participants to remember that the event is more than a fitness challenge, it’s a statement of solidarity.
“This run is not just about kilometres covered or medals earned,” he said. “It’s about resilience, hope, and creating a Jamaica where no one faces the fight against breast cancer alone.”