This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.
If you’re looking for a way to get rid of some old clothing, as well as help out those in need, look no further than the ISU Rec Center and Hoops for Haiti.
“In Mr. Sheep’s Organizational Leadership course, we have a project assignment titled Leading a Change and Making a Difference,” Lauren Sroka, senior marketing major, said. “Because the criterion has almost limitless boundaries, our group of five wanted to impact something bigger than just a local environmental cause. One of the members of our group has been an active member of Hoops for Haiti for a year of so, so we were immediately interested.”
Hoops for Haiti is a non-profit organization started by two local Normal residents and members of the Eastview Christian Church, Sarah Aubrey and her husband, Mark Aubrey, when they traveled on a mission trip to Pillatre, Haiti in 2009. The Aubrey’s built three basketball hoops for the Haitian people and after seeing it’s positive effects on the community, knew they couldn’t leave without doing something more.
Seeing how the Haitians wanted to learn “American basketball” so badly, they agreed to become the founders of Hoops for Haiti, an organization that runs a basketball camp for up to 1,000 boys and girls in Pilatre. Pillatre is in the northern part of Haiti, along the coast. Nearly 80 percent of the population of Haiti lives below the poverty line, with 54 percent living in what is considered “abject poverty.” Simple items, like having shoes to wear, are not common because there is no money to purchase them. Sarah and Mark knew that, apart from the game of basketball being relatively new to Haitians, most of the boys and girls attending the camp would not have shoes to wear, let alone basketball shoes.
This October, ISU students are teaming up with the non-profit organization Hoops for Haiti and collecting any used/new athletic apparel, basketballs and athletic shoes for shipment at the ISU Rec Center.
The student group’s ultimate goal is to gain Illinois State University’s commitment and participation to fulfill Hoops for Haiti’s mission: Bringing a message of Hope and Love through Basketball.
“We are also making an inspirational video with ISU’s men basketball team for the [Haitian] kids to watch,” Sroka added.
Help support Hoops for Haiti and those in need by donating any old athletic apparel, shoes or basketballs you have lying around your apartment or stuffed in the backs of your draws. The Hoops for Haiti’s donation box is located just to the left of the main entrance doors when you walk in. For more information check out Hoops for Haiti’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoops-for-Haiti/309318781799 or their website at http://hoopsforhaiti.org/.