Starr Dawkins brings Christmas cheer

Recording artiste, social media influencer and owner of the popular Sweet Cookie Wash brand, Starr Dawkins, handed out 250 tablets across three communities in Kingston and Portmore, St Catherine on Wednesday and Thursday.

At the start of December, Dawkins shared on her business page a receipt totalling more than US$1,100 spent on tablets for children in Jamaica. She said that she made the purchase even before planning how she would deliver them but received help from a few local entertainment industry professionals including Romeich Major and power couple, Shemara and Corey Todd, owners of Taboo.

"Romeich pointed me in the direction of the right shipping company and getting the items cleared, and the Todds helped with sorting out security and police personnel as well as a driver to take me to the various communities. Big shout out to them," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

The South Florida-based entertainer went to Jacques Road in Mountain View, Kingston, and into her home community of Waterford, Portmore, and handed out tablets in Flatbush and on Myrtle Way. The artiste said she was surprised to find out that the children on Myrtle Way were without Internet service.

"Honestly, it was beyond shocking, and it made me even more grateful for my life. It made me want to cry," she said.

Last month Starr Dawkins ruffled some feathers in the dancehall community with the release of her single Sponsor which was partially inspired by Ce'Cile's controversial 2001 hit Changes. The track, which is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Izy Beats, is bold, as the artiste focuses on the topic of being an independent woman, while playfully fitting the names of several dancehall acts including Shenseea and Vybz Kartel in the lyrics.

"The feedback has been great. I'm still in promotion mode but for this [donating tablets], I'm just happy I could come back to where I was raised and spread some cheer for the holidays. One of my favourite interactions over the past couple of days was with a little boy in Portmore who was so grateful for the tablet. He told me I was walking where dancehall deejay Masicka grew up. He seemed so humble and proud at the same time...all of them," she said.

- S.L.