Above: Ramon Harewood
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens are heading to Barbados to begin the Big Mon Elite Athlete Development Camp on April 4.
The team’s delegation will be led by Ramon Harewood, an offensive lineman who is the first NFL player from Barbados.
Joining Harewood will be star teammates Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Michael Oher and Bryan Hall, who will be hosting a football training camp for local children in Barbados.
Harewood, who also became the first Bajan to win a Super Bowl, was re-signed by the team last month.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of the Big Mon Elite Athlete Development Camp for the children of Barbados,” Harewood said in a statement. “The strong academic foundation and diverse athletic training I received growing up in Barbados has enabled me to achieve success on many levels as an adult and it is an honor to share what I have learned with the younger generation.”
The camp, which is sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority, the Hilton Barbados Resort and American Airlines, will feature one-on-one training sessions for 200 Bajan children ages 11 to 18.
“The Barbados Tourism Authority is thrilled to partner with Ramon Harewood and The Baltimore Ravens on this special camp for the island’s children,” said Campbell Rudder, Vice President Marketing USA of the Barbados Tourism Authority. “Ramon’s proud heritage and drive to give back to the community continues to inspire Barbadians nationwide.”
The camp’s daily drills and training sessions will be accompanied by opportunities to speak with the players. It will also feature a special screening of the film “The Blind Side,” based on the life of Oher.