Connecticut runs for Jamaica: West Hartford’s tribute to Dean Waul after Hurricane Melissa

Among the most moving of these gestures took place in West Hartford, Connecticut, where a small business and a generous community ran together for Jamaica, and for the memory of one remarkable Jamaican who could not walk, but inspired everyone who knew him to keep moving forward.

At the center of it all was Fleet Feet West Hartford, where co-owners David and Fernanda Jacobs opened their doors and their hearts to host a charity run and walk supporting victims of Hurricane Melissa. In partnership with Prof. Charmaine Waul, a Jamaican now based in Connecticut, the event raised thousands of dollars, while Fleet Feet donated 525 pairs of waterproof trail shoes from Hoka, 40 pairs of On running shoes, and 600 pairs of Balega and Feetures socks to survivors who lost everything and are now rebuilding their lives at home. For more than a decade, Charmaine herself has been an avid runner, completing multiple marathons and becoming a familiar face in Connecticut’s running community. It was a simple act with profound symbolism: step by step, a community an ocean away helping another find its footing again.

The event was held in memory of Dean Waul, Charmaine’s brother from Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, who was among the first recorded deaths in Jamaica caused by the hurricane. Dean, who was born with cerebral palsy, could not walk, yet his outlook on life was boundless. He was known for his radiant smile, his love of music, his sharp memory, and his unshakable optimism. “Dean had a big heart,” Charmaine shared. “He was the center of our family’s joy, a lover of music, blessed with an incredible memory, and a spirit that lit up every room.”

On the night of November 5, more than 250 people gathered outside Fleet Feet’s Farmington Avenue store to walk and run in Dean’s honour. For Charmaine Waul, watching so many people move for her brother, a man who could not walk but never stopped lifting others, was overwhelming. “I just stood there and thought, look at what Dean is doing, even now,” she said. “He couldn’t walk, but here are all these people walking for him. It was a beautiful thing to see his life, his memory helping others.”

The event drew the attention of Connecticut’s top officials and members of the Caribbean community, who gathered for a press conference and memorial send-off before the run. 

Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, joined by State Senator Derek Slap, State Representative Bobby Gibson, and Caribbean Trade Council representatives, commended the Jamaican diaspora for its unity and generosity. “This is what community looks like,” Bysiewicz said, honoring Dean by name and praising Fleet Feet’s leadership for turning grief into meaningful action.

Funds raised from the event will support the Connecticut Caribbean Coalition Disaster Relief Fund and a family foundation established in Dean Waul’s honor, both dedicated to rebuilding efforts across Jamaica’s hurricane-affected communities.

Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa will take time, rebuilding homes, livelihoods, and hope will not happen overnight. But moments like this remind us that even from thousands of miles away, Jamaica’s heartbeat is felt around the world. Every gesture of solidarity, every act of giving, reminds us how deeply this small island touches those who call it home, and those who never stop loving it.