In a bid to give back to their customers during the back-to-school season, Digicel and the STAR have partnered to host a back-to-school fair, dubbed School 'Buss', at the St William Grant Park on August 22, starting at 10 a.m.

"The STAR has always enjoyed very strong support from our readers, so we are always looking for ways to give back to them," said Dwayne Gordon, editor of THE WEEKEND STAR. "In this case, what makes it special is that, not only will our readers benefit, but also their children."

Gordon added, "We are proud to be assisting with the education of Jamaican children. For a number of years, The Gleaner has been assisting with the education of our children, whether through the Spelling Bee competition, scholarships and a number of other initiatives. This new venture, under THE WEEKEND STAR brand, is another such initiative and we are very excited about it."

With over 50 local companies chipping in to make the event successful, School 'Buss' will feature a free health village complete with doctors, dentists and opticians, as well as bookstores, barbers and financial institutions, who will offer their services to the attendees, either free of cost or discounted prices. Hosted by Miss Kitty, Terri-Karelle and Badda Bling, there will also be games and rides for the children, mini talent competitions and performances by Ikaya, Chi Ching Ching, Ding Dong and Jermaine Edwards.

Students will also have the opportunity to get their hands on give-aways of phones, tablets, scholarships and school supplies.

Stressful time

"The back-to-school period is usually a very stressful time for many persons financially, so Digicel is always finding ways to help make it a little easier on the pockets for parents and guardians," said Kamal Powell, senior sponsorship and development manager at Digicel. "We are very excited about this event as it's our first major activity for this back-to-school season. There are lots more to come too, as we'll be partnering with a number of initiatives right across Jamaica during this period so that we can touch as many of our customers as possible."

Powell continued, "A huge part of our focus as a brand is helping to develop rounded youths to secure a better future for Jamaica and education is a big part of this. So we want to thank our partners THE WEEKEND STAR, Caprisun, Jamaica National, KSAC, Sangster's Bookstores, Viva Medical Services and Nestlé, among others, for helping to make this possible for the students."