Welcome to Jamrock set sail ...Patrons will donate books to library service

The third voyage of the Welcome to Jamrock Cruise left the Floridian coast on Monday and is making its way to Montego Bay and then Ocho Rios for its final docking on Saturday. On that day, patrons will hand over book donations to be officially presented to the Jamaica Library Service.

Last year was the first staging of the book drive, which concluded at the Ocho Rios Library in St Ann, where Julian 'Juju' Marley made the presentation on behalf of Jamrock Productions.

From the first drive, more than 400 books were collected as a response to the call to support literacy in the region. Organisers of the book drive are expectant of an increased response this time around, as the already sold-out cruise will host up to 4,000 persons.

"We are grateful to receive a second donation from the Welcome to Jamrock's Book Drive. This kind of partnership is always appreciated and goes a far way in supporting the provision of books for our library members in the community of Ocho Rios. We look forward to this year's contribution and the success of this book drive for years to come," said Karen Barton, director general of the Jamaica Library Service.

Welcome to Jamrock promises performances led by Damian Marley, and will feature performances from some of reggae's finest, to include Stephen 'Ragga' Marley, Chronixx, Sean Paul, Tarrus Riley. Also slated to provide entertainment aboard the cruise are sound systems, including Stone Love and King Jammy's, and deejays such as Mutabaruka, Collin Hines and ZJ Liquid.

In addition to showcasing Jamaican entertainment and culture, the cruise has continuously had a positive impact on the country's tourism by creating this innovative attraction for tourists across the world to experience and give back to the people, culture and entertainment and educational system in a very unorthodox, yet enjoyable way.