Jamaican football star Leon Bailey is once again giving back to the community where his journey began, with his foundation supporting a back-to-school treat for children in Cassava Piece, St Andrew.

The Leon Bailey Foundation partnered with the Cassava Piece Youth Upliftment Group, Member of Parliament for St Andrew North Central Delano Seiveright, community volunteers and local leaders for the initiative, which combined school-supply assistance with a day of activities for children and families.

The event formed part of a wider back-to-school effort across the St Andrew North Central constituency, with more than 1,500 children expected to benefit from a series of community-based treats.

School Supplies and Support for Children

Children in Cassava Piece received assistance including school bags, books, treats and other supplies ahead of the new academic year.

For the Cassava Piece Youth Upliftment Group, the support was about more than simply helping families prepare for September. Vice President Junior Thompson said initiatives of this kind can encourage young people and reinforce the importance of positive community involvement.

Thompson also praised Bailey for continuing to support the area where he grew up, while acknowledging the contribution of Seiveright and others involved in organising the event.

Seiveright similarly highlighted Bailey’s contribution, describing the footballer as one of Jamaica’s biggest stars on the international stage and a source of pride for residents of St Andrew North Central and Cassava Piece.

He said the wider objective is to support children and young people while creating opportunities that can help them move forward.

Bailey’s Connection to Cassava Piece

Bailey’s involvement carries particular significance because Cassava Piece is the community where he grew up before his football career took him overseas.

His rise from playing football in Kingston to reaching the international stage has made him a prominent example of what can be achieved through sport, discipline and opportunity.

Bailey has also previously used his platform to support residents of his home community.

In 2024, the Leon Bailey Foundation hosted a back-to-school treat in Cassava Piece, providing children with packages to help them prepare for the new school year.

The foundation’s community work goes back even further. In 2020, Bailey and the Phoenix Academy were involved in providing groceries to residents of Cassava Piece, Grants Pen, Commons and Stony Hill during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bailey’s foundation has also previously supported children through educational initiatives, including a tablet donation to children at The Nest Salvation Army Children’s Home in St Andrew.

Building From Home

For residents and community organisers, Bailey’s continued involvement represents an opportunity to show young people that success does not have to mean forgetting where they came from.

The latest back-to-school initiative brought together the foundation, youth leaders, elected representatives and community volunteers around a shared goal: helping children begin the school year with some of the resources and encouragement they need.

As Bailey continues his football career on the international stage, his connection to Cassava Piece remains part of his story, and his foundation’s latest contribution shows that the community where his journey began continues to have a place in his efforts to give back.