QUEENS, NY - It is official! The Jamaica Strong Benefit Concert, held on December 12, 2025, at UBS Arena in Queens, raised over US$500,000 in net ticket proceeds. The announcement was made by George Crooks, CEO of Jammins Events.
Jamaica Strong Executives (L-R) Bobby Clarke, Irie Jam radio; Kacy Rankine, Roadblock radio and George Crooks (R), Jammins Events share lens time with Grammy winning dancehall/reggae icon Shaggy (2nd from R). (Photo Credit: Sam Johnston/UBS Arena)Crooks said the funds raised was to support relief and recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, uniting the global Jamaican diaspora in a shared humanitarian response.
Bobby Clarke, co-founder of the Irie Jam Foundation said, proceeds from the concert will be distributed to trusted organizations actively engaged in relief and recovery efforts, including: $150,000 to Shaggy’s Make a Difference Foundation; $150,000 to the Sean Paul Foundation; $150,000 to the Government of Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund and $50,000 to the Irie Jam Foundation, designated to assist with the repair and rebuilding of primary schools in the County of Cornwall, among the areas hardest hit by the storm.
“By directing funds to both national and community-based organizations, we are ensuring that support reaches persons, families, and communities where the need is most immediate and the impact most meaningful,” Clarke noted.
"Caribbean artists donated their time and talent, using music and culture as vehicles for unity, healing, and advocacy during a moment of national crisis," Kacy Rankine, CEO of Roadblock radio shared.
“We express gratitude to sponsors, patrons, media partners, volunteers, the wider Caribbean diaspora, and the artists whose generosity made the initiative possible. Conceived as an urgent call to action during a national crisis, the concert was designed to achieve two critical objectives: increased global attention to the human toll of Hurricane Melissa and mobilize meaningful financial support for communities working to rebuild. Both aims were decisively realized," Rankine added.
Nearly 10,000 passionate supporters filled the arena, reflecting extraordinary engagement from the Jamaican diaspora and friends of Jamaica who came together to demonstrate solidarity, compassion, and resolve.
The concert was organized by Irie Jam Radio, the Irie Jam Foundation, Jammins Events, and RoadBlock Radio—New York based cultural and media organizations that came together to transform collective concern into coordinated action through transparency, accountability, and community-driven leadership.
While the concert marked a significant milestone, organizers emphasized that recovery remains ongoing and sustained support is essential to restoring stability, dignity, and opportunity for those affected by Hurricane Melissa. The spirit of Jamaica Strong continues.
