Jan. 12, 2010 marked a particularly tragic day in Haiti’s history, as the effects of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the country’s already impoverished population and infrastructure were catastrophic.
The quake shattered Port-au-Prince and its neighboring cities, leaving families to mourn the devastating loss of over 230,000 lives.
Fifteen months have passed since the first tremors were felt, but NYIT Athletics proved it’s never too late to lend a helping hand.
On April 30, they hosted a soccer clinic and tournament to help raise money for the Save the Children fund to benefit kids in Haiti.
Since 1978, Save the Children has worked in Haiti to improve children’s well-being through health care and education programs. Supported by contributions from citizens and institutional donors worldwide, they launch efforts to bring food, shelter and other assistance to more than 879,000 survivors of Haiti’s earthquake.
Approximately 46 percent of Haiti’s population is under the age of 18, making Save the Children’s efforts to meet their unique needs a critical element in the country’s recovery.
The program opened with a women’s college soccer tournament featuring Adelphi, Dominican, Mercy and NYIT. Later in the afternoon, a free clinic for kid’s ages 7-16 was taught by Bears soccer coach Frantz St. Lot and several NYIT athletes.
“It was good for the kids to come out and play,” said NYIT Bears forward Matt Didonna. “It was a really nice day outside and it was great for everybody to help raise money for Haiti.”
A men’s soccer tournament closed out the day’s proceedings, featuring a match between the New Jersey Tech Highlanders and the NYIT Bears.
“We raised $35,000 for Haiti in advance of today’s event” said Sabrina Polidoro, who serves as NYIT’s assistant director of communications and marketing. “The Long Island chapter of Save the Children wanted to put together a fundraiser for Haiti when the earthquake first happened, and they didn’t get much of a response, so they revisited the idea this year. They contacted us here at NYIT and we quickly jumped on it to partner with them for the event.”
