The 14th Annual “Catch Jerry Chile” (CJC) competitive 5-mile Run/Walk fundraiser event, hosted during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, at the famed Cork Tree in James’ Cistern (JC), saw dozens of walkers and runners, lined up and ready to tackle the course, starting out from the Cork Tree, and winding its way along the picturesque coastal highway, all the way to the Governor’s Harbour airport runway, and back to JC.
The Cause and Its Effect
Each year, members of the CJC organizing committee, including founder, Mr. Miska Clarke, along with nurse Bernadette Bethel-Colebrook, Mr. Angelo Bethel, and Mr. Romeo Rolle and others, aim to impact some form of medical or social need within the Central Eleuthera communities – with a variety of beneficiaries over the years; including, the Health Association of Central Eleuthera (HACE), the Eleuthera Cancer Society, Public Health facilities and equipment (refurbishment, defibrillators and more), the Royal Bahamas Police Force – jaws of life accident response equipment, community sporting equipment, education scholarships, hurricane victims assistance, sick and shut-ins assistance as well as other community initiatives.
Support for Eleuthera clinics in partnership with the Nurses Association of the Bahamas, Eleuthera Branch, is the focus of this year’s fundraising efforts, said nurse Colebrook, “This year’s proceeds will be going towards the clinics in Eleuthera – and the supplies that are much needed there… Everyone at some point in time or their children have had to take advantage of clinic services… So, we have partnered with the Nurses Association of the Bahamas, the Eleuthera Branch, and we will be donating whatever supplies and materials that they need. We’ve gotten a wish list from each of the clinics.”
With the nurses association on board, the run/walk event took on a broader scope this year, with nurses in attendance offering blood pressure checks, as well as glucose screening. Local DJ talent, Mr. Pedro Grant also volunteered his services, matching the morning vibe with energizing music, and inspirational commentary as runners and walkers completed the challenging course.
A Bit of Background and Meaning
The Run/Walk, which got started at 6:30 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning – since its inception in 2013 – includes an element of friendly challenge. Mr. Miska Clarke, a marathon enthusiast, and a son of ‘Jerry’, is annually given a few seconds headstart, before the other runners, who are challenged to ‘catch him’. In his physical prime more than a decade ago, when the CJC first began, Mr. Clarke held on to the top finishing spot in the runners division for many years. He was finally bested by young athlete, from Palmetto Point, Mr. Develus Culmer in 2024 – and two others joined Culmer in 2025 in beating out the longstanding champ of the CJC. This year also saw Mr. Clarke taking third, with two runners coming in ahead of ‘Jerry Chile’.
There is also another aspect to the ‘Catch Jerry Chile’ theme. As a fundraiser, the CJC event is supported by a number of both individual and corporate donors. Mr. Clarke, as the visionary, commits the first donation, and encourages others to ‘Catch Jerry Chile’, with both the speed and size of their giving.
Results and Achievements
In the runners division, coming in first on Saturday morning, in an impressive 39 minutes, 08 seconds – was Matthew Gayatin. He was followed by Cate Armstrong, a female competitor, in second (with 42:52, who improved on her 2025 finishing time of 43:14), and arriving in third place was Miska Clarke (aka – Jerry Chile) in 46 minutes, 19 seconds, to round out the top finishers in the runners division.
In the walkers division, Tom Glucksmann, last year’s winner, conceded first place to female participant, Victoria Petty – and settled for second place. A female competitor also earned third place in the walkers division, with Stephanie McPhee, following Petty and Glucksmann.
Top finishers were all awarded with trophies, as well as bragging rights until 2027. Children’s division participants, Shamico Davis and Ava Davis received medals to commemorate their taking part.
Community Impact and Future Vision
Nurse Colebrook, commenting on the event’s participation and overall turnout for 2026, said that she was very pleased. The monetary goal was to raise between $12,000 and $15,000, and she confirmed that they had high hopes of reaching the goal, with $6,000 raised during just the first week of promoting the event.
She said the run/walk was continuing to grow, and she encouraged more people to join in and come out to take part.
Last year’s outreach following the fundraising, when the committee members were able to impact the lives of people who were sick and shut-in, Nurse Colebrook shared that it was a phenomenal experience for her, “Last year it really hit home. It touched us so much. We were able to donate to persons who were sick and shut in. And it was really an eye opener. Seeing the amount of persons out there that are in need and the little that we could have done, but it was so far reaching. We fed persons for months and we had cleaners go in and clean people’s home surroundings…It was a tremendous impact.”
The committee, said Nurse Colebrook extended a big thank you to all of the generous donors who had given toward the cause in 2026, and they looked forward to making a difference within the clinics.
