Adam Stewart launches sports scholarship to honour late wife Jill

Executive Chairman of Sandals Resort International, Adam Stewart, commemorated his late wife with the launch of the Jill Stewart Sports Scholarship.

The announcement was made during the MoBay City Run Scholarships presentation at Sandals, Montego Bay, St James.

Jill, a sports enthusiast who regularly participated in walk/run events, would have, however, missed the return of the MoBay City Run in May of this year because of her battle with cancer.

Despite the sombre time for the family, Adam Stewart and his son came to participate in the running event, where the 10K winner got the Jill Stewart Award.

"We are proud. Jill has been a runner and a stalwart in Montego Bay, organising multiple running clubs. Also, Janet Silvera and Jill have always had an amazing relationship through the organising of the MoBay City Run.

"She won the women's 10K multiple times but is now battling cancer and could not be here. As a family, it is an amazing and heart-warming gesture that we really appreciate," Stewart said at The MoBay City Run in May.

Jill would, however, lose her battle with cancer in July.

At Thursday's launch, a new honour was made in her name with a scholarship, with a tagline "Running for education. Hope for the future."

Her husband Adam, a hotel mogul, committed an initial $1.5 million towards the scholarship funding over the next five years to a student-athlete from western Jamaica.

The inaugural recipient, Rhianna Lewis, a 15-year-old Rhodes Hall student, was granted $300,000.

"It was two months ago today that we said goodbye - a moment of profound grief that words can hardly capture. As difficult as these weeks have been for our family, the strength of Jill's beautiful spirit lives on with us each day, giving us the strength to face every moment with the same determination, resilience and grace," widower Adam Stewart said under an Instagram post recently.