By OSWALD T. BROWN
GRAND BAHAMA, Bahamas – In a message apparently posted on her Facebook page from her hometown in Grand Bahama, Bahamas, sensational WNBA professional basketball star Jonquel Jones offered some wise advice on Monday, April 6, 2020 on how to cope with the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic currently wreaking havoc around the world.
As posted in her message, Jones states: “The future is still bright😁🌟 Hope everyone is staying safe and following the guidelines to get through this craziness.. I’m realizing how hard it is to relax. We constantly go and don’t even recognize when our bodies just need a break. So take a few naps today, don’t stress, put your phone down and read a book and when those eyes get heavy take nap. Wash your hands, close your eyes and talk to God and don’t trip if you fall asleep while talking to Him just take another nap. Wake up eat, exercise and nap again. I’m recognizing that I don’t have to feel guilty getting that much needed R&R. Rest up because when the quarantine gates open these naps won’t be as easy.. So please stay safe and TAKE AH NAP 😘😊❤️ — at Grand Bahama.”
Like fellow Grand Bahamian Buddy Hield, a star on the National Basketball Association (NBA) Sacramento Kings, Jones has made significant financial contributions to The Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which caused considerable damages to the Northern Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama and The Abacos during the first week of September 2019.
Jones, who plays center for the WNBA Connecticut Sun, in addition to other contributions, presented $5,000 each shortly before Christmas to 10 persons during a buffet held at the Pelican Bay Resort on Sunday, December 22, 2019. With help from Grand Bahama Department of Social Services, which provided a list of badly affected persons as a result of Hurricane Dorian, the 10 selected individuals received the money for “repairs and hurricane relief.” The checks were presented personally by Jones and Katherine (Kay) Forbes-Smith, Managing Director of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority Board, according to an article published in the Freeport News on December 23.
At the time, the Freeport News reported that the funds were raised via a GoFundMe page Jones and company launched in the wake of the historic and destructive category five hurricane that rampaged through the Northern Bahamas, particularly Abaco and Grand Bahama, last September.
“Today was just about persons who were affected by Hurricane Dorian,” Jones was quoted as saying. “After the storm, we wanted to do something to help them out. So, we created a GoFundMe and raised money from the WNBA and everywhere else. We wanted to come home and give the money to people who were in need and make sure put it in their hands so they can get done what they need to get done. It was super important to come back. I know personally what it’s like to be hit hard by a hurricane. I know how that despair feels and to lose everything. So, when I saw what was happening, I just wanted to be able to come back and try to give back.”
Jones, who grew up in Grand Bahama playing both soccer and basketball, had two of her coaches who played a big role in her upbringing at the event. Coach Mary Woodside-Knowles, who co-founded the Girls Soccer Development League with her husband, Donnie, was proud to see the effort Jones made with the recent venture, according to the Freeport News.
“We’re so proud of her, and the best thing about Jonquel is she never forgets where she comes from. Every opportunity she mentions The Bahamas and her people at home so we’re very proud of her,” Woodside-Knowles was quoted as saying.
Gladstone “Moon” McPhee, who coached Jones during her time in HOYTES (Helping Our Youth Through Education and Sports), also voiced that Jones’ stride to help those in need is something the seasoned coach has been drilling into every player enrolled in the HOYTES programme.
“Anyone knows me knows she’s from a programme that I’m behind and we’re used to trying to drill into our current and former athletes to give back,” McPhee was quoted as saying. “That’s the name of the game. We work with you so you can work with somebody else. It was always in Jonqel’s nature to give back. It’s all about giving back to someone and later on, it will have to come back to you.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the 10 persons who were presented with their checks each thanked Jones and company for the kind gesture, the Freeport News reported.
