At an intimate dinner, Thursday last, at the haute Caribbean-inspired dining house Miss Likklemore’s Kitchen & Bar in Toronto, Canada, Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, OJ made a scholarship donation in memory of her parents to The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Toronto Benefit.

Ralph, who is a 2023 UWI Toronto Benefit Luminary Award recipient but was unable to attend the gala last May, made good on her promise to start a scholarship in her parents’ name for The UWI students. Ahead of the presentation Ralph shared how she “met a young man who wanted to go to law school and was down US$500 to complete his undergraduate degree at UWI… when I heard that, I thought, ‘Oh, my God’. It is not like they need US$30,000. They just need a little help!”

The inaugural Can$7,500 scholarship was presented in the name of Ralph’s deceased parents, Dr Stanley Ralph and Ivy Ralph. Her father was a college professor and her mother a pioneer in Jamaica’s fashion industry.

The UWI Toronto Benefit Awards Committee co-patron and evening’s host Donette Chin-Loy Chang, who graciously accepted the donation, shared, “We thank Sheryl Lee for this amazing contribution in her parents’ name. It will assist students across the Caribbean who need financial assistance to complete their university education.”

Page 2 spotlights those in attendance.