Post by BrianSullivan on Jul 28, 2010 6:09:30 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-07-28/Front_Page/Donations_give_Haitis_kids_a_sporting_chance.html
Freehold community sends tons of equipment to Caribbean nation
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — The need for assistance in earthquake-stricken Haiti remains constant and real, and charities across the country are continuing to send aid to the Caribbean nation in the form of personal supplies and food.
The young people of Freehold Borough are addressing another need that Haitian youngsters may not have had much time to address since their nation was hit by a devastating earthquake six months ago — fun.
The fun that local youngsters are sending to Haiti comes in the form of sports equipment that will keep the Haitian children busy, engaged and productive in spite of the horrific circumstances and landscapes that surround them.
Gently used and new sports equipment has been collected, packed up and shipped from Yele Haiti in South Orange, Essex County.
According to its Internet website, Yele Haiti is a grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment. Yele’s community service programs include food distribution and mobilizing emergency relief.
The word yele means “a cry for freedom.”
The Freehold youngsters worked under the guidance of Debra Esola of Monument Street and other volunteers.
“I saw (video of) kids (in Haiti) standing around on street corners, kicking soda cans, hanging around doing nothing, and I thought to myself, ‘What can they do while they are waiting for things to get back to normal?’ ” Esola said.
After coming up with a plan to collect sports equipment, Esola contacted Haitianborn musician Wyclef Jean, who founded Yele Haiti.
“The system was already in place and the organization was already collecting donations of everyday needs and sending them to Haiti in large containers on a monthly basis,” Esola said. “They were very excited when I told them our idea of providing sports equipment for the youngsters. No one had been thinking along those lines before. But kids and sports equipment? It was a nobrainer.”
Esola explained that the effort began as a Freehold Borough K-8 School District project in the Park Avenue Elementary School, the Freehold Intermediate School and the Freehold Learning Center elementary school.
“We had help from the Freehold Township Little League, the Freehold Borough Little League, the Freehold Township Soccer League, the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, Freehold Township, and the YMCA Community Center in Freehold Borough,” Esola said.
Assistance was also provided by the Freehold High School Baseball Booster Club. She said Freehold High School students worked with the Freehold Borough Little League on the project.
“We had a baseball drive with the Freehold High School varsity baseball team in the spring to help out some of the kids who needed equipment,” Esola said, “and we had so much equipment so we gave a lot of it to the Little League at the beginning of the season. The extra equipment we sent to Haiti. Through my connection with Timberland, where I work, I thought it would be a good idea to bring sports equipment to the kids in Haiti.”
Esola said the community responded to the effort once the word went out. Collection bins were placed at various locations and volunteers collected larger items that were donated, such as basketball hoops, soccer goals and bicycles. Hundreds of soccer balls, basketballs and footballs were collected.
Support came from people in Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Marlboro and Manalapan, she said, adding that she is still getting calls from people who want to donate items.
Timberland, Adidas, Signature Flight and the Freehold Borough Baseball Club donated new equipment and/or money.
Volunteers who helped Esola pack up all of the goods were Betsy Hembling, Christina Smith, Freehold Borough Board of Education President Annette Jordan and her husband, Bob, Sheryl Mott and Kirsten Raymond.
The volunteers formed a caravan of SUVs and minivans and took the equipment to South Orange for packing and shipment to Haiti. The local group placed a label on each box which said, “Freehold’s Kids Helping Haiti’s Kids.”
Esola said working on the project was “very rewarding.”
Yele Haiti can still use items such as toiletries, hygiene products, baby products, new and gently used clothing, small toys, school supplies, canned and dry goods (only items expiring in 2011 and beyond). Items can be dropped off or sent to Yele Haiti Foundation Inc., c/o Fusha Design, 2 West South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079.
Freehold community sends tons of equipment to Caribbean nation
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — The need for assistance in earthquake-stricken Haiti remains constant and real, and charities across the country are continuing to send aid to the Caribbean nation in the form of personal supplies and food.
The young people of Freehold Borough are addressing another need that Haitian youngsters may not have had much time to address since their nation was hit by a devastating earthquake six months ago — fun.
The fun that local youngsters are sending to Haiti comes in the form of sports equipment that will keep the Haitian children busy, engaged and productive in spite of the horrific circumstances and landscapes that surround them.
Gently used and new sports equipment has been collected, packed up and shipped from Yele Haiti in South Orange, Essex County.
According to its Internet website, Yele Haiti is a grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment. Yele’s community service programs include food distribution and mobilizing emergency relief.
The word yele means “a cry for freedom.”
The Freehold youngsters worked under the guidance of Debra Esola of Monument Street and other volunteers.
“I saw (video of) kids (in Haiti) standing around on street corners, kicking soda cans, hanging around doing nothing, and I thought to myself, ‘What can they do while they are waiting for things to get back to normal?’ ” Esola said.
After coming up with a plan to collect sports equipment, Esola contacted Haitianborn musician Wyclef Jean, who founded Yele Haiti.
“The system was already in place and the organization was already collecting donations of everyday needs and sending them to Haiti in large containers on a monthly basis,” Esola said. “They were very excited when I told them our idea of providing sports equipment for the youngsters. No one had been thinking along those lines before. But kids and sports equipment? It was a nobrainer.”
Esola explained that the effort began as a Freehold Borough K-8 School District project in the Park Avenue Elementary School, the Freehold Intermediate School and the Freehold Learning Center elementary school.
“We had help from the Freehold Township Little League, the Freehold Borough Little League, the Freehold Township Soccer League, the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, Freehold Township, and the YMCA Community Center in Freehold Borough,” Esola said.
Assistance was also provided by the Freehold High School Baseball Booster Club. She said Freehold High School students worked with the Freehold Borough Little League on the project.
“We had a baseball drive with the Freehold High School varsity baseball team in the spring to help out some of the kids who needed equipment,” Esola said, “and we had so much equipment so we gave a lot of it to the Little League at the beginning of the season. The extra equipment we sent to Haiti. Through my connection with Timberland, where I work, I thought it would be a good idea to bring sports equipment to the kids in Haiti.”
Esola said the community responded to the effort once the word went out. Collection bins were placed at various locations and volunteers collected larger items that were donated, such as basketball hoops, soccer goals and bicycles. Hundreds of soccer balls, basketballs and footballs were collected.
Support came from people in Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Marlboro and Manalapan, she said, adding that she is still getting calls from people who want to donate items.
Timberland, Adidas, Signature Flight and the Freehold Borough Baseball Club donated new equipment and/or money.
Volunteers who helped Esola pack up all of the goods were Betsy Hembling, Christina Smith, Freehold Borough Board of Education President Annette Jordan and her husband, Bob, Sheryl Mott and Kirsten Raymond.
The volunteers formed a caravan of SUVs and minivans and took the equipment to South Orange for packing and shipment to Haiti. The local group placed a label on each box which said, “Freehold’s Kids Helping Haiti’s Kids.”
Esola said working on the project was “very rewarding.”
Yele Haiti can still use items such as toiletries, hygiene products, baby products, new and gently used clothing, small toys, school supplies, canned and dry goods (only items expiring in 2011 and beyond). Items can be dropped off or sent to Yele Haiti Foundation Inc., c/o Fusha Design, 2 West South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079.