Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Soccer clothes and gear for Haitian kids - by David

As a collegiate athlete I have enjoyed myriad privileges. I have been able to travel the country and world playing the game I love. A big part of my life as a soccer player has been the sponsorship by corporations like Fila, Addidas, and UnderArmour. They have provided countless supplies to our team all at no cost to the players. Maryland Soccer is one of the wealthier programs in the country and we can afford the best apparel and gear every season.

I have thus accumulated many t-shirts, shorts, socks, cleats, etc. in my five years as a Maryland athlete and much more from my time in club, odp, and high school. Seeing as I and so many of my former teammates have so many clothes I have asked our alumni and current players to donate as much as they could for me to distribute during my time in Haiti. Thankfully many people have responded and 5 large boxes of clothes and gear are currently en route to Santo Domingo for transport to Jacmel and Port-Au-Prince.

The honor of playing soccer at Maryland is nothing without the charitable donations we have provided over the years. I hope that the relatively small donation we are making to the children of Haiti can bring some joy and happiness to a people stricken by poverty and conflict. When I arrive in Haiti I will write another post on how the clothes were received and also contact information for those of you who wish to donate and help in your own way.

Seth Stammler, a former Terp and current member of the New York Red Bulls visited Haiti last month to help Wycleff JeanĀ“s organization. He has been inspired and is taking the necessary steps to set up a foundation to provide scholarships and other much needed assets for Haitians. I hope to join Seth in his mission and possibly set up my own small channel for donating soccer clothes and gear to the children of Haiti.