Jamaican bobsled team gets boost in Calgary after van breaks down

CALGARY – The Jamaican bobsled team suffered some hard luck in Calgary on the weekend, but some local businesses and a crowdfunding page have come to their aid.

A group of 12 athletes is travelling through Canada and the U.S. to try and get a spot in the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.

But while competing at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary on Saturday, the group’s van broke down before the they could get to their next stop in Whistler, B.C.

The team was also running low on food and money.

Two businesses, Mobile Data Solutions and Driving Force, have helped supply transportation for the team while a GoFundMe page has been set up to cover other costs of the trip to B.C.

The story of the bobsledders showing up at the 1988 Calgary Games inspired the Disney movie “Cool Runnings.”

After competing in Whistler, and if they have enough money, the team will be back in Calgary from Dec. 12 to Jan. 2, before heading to Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid, New York.

(CFFR)