By Julia Mericle
News Editor
During halftime at yesterday’s game, the Bonaventure women’s soccer team, in partnership with Bona Responds, put “Project-Soccer for Haiti” into action with the collection of new and used soccer equipment.
As an initiative of the new Bona Responds program, Bonas and Beyond: Haiti, an arrangement was made with Haitian university students who are currently participating in the program to bring the donated soccer equipment, including balls, uniforms and cleats, back to their home country.
Paula Scraba, associate professor of physical education, said she came up with the idea for the project over the summer while the Special Olympics world games were taking place in Los Angeles, California.
The Special Olympics women’s soccer team from Haiti was on the news because they lost their luggage, resulting in the loss of their uniforms, according to Scraba. She said the loss was met with abundant donations.
The occasion inspired her to join forces with Steve Brdarski, Bonaventure women’s soccer head coach and assistant coach for the Haiti women’s national team, to build a relationship between the Bonaventure women’s soccer team and the Special Olympics soccer team in Haiti.
Scraba said the project would not have worked without the collaboration and connections of Brdarski, Jim Mahar, founder of Bona Responds, Bony Geroges, coach of the Haitian Special Olympics women’s soccer team, and Neal Johnson, president and CEO of Special Olympics New York.
According to Scraba, most of the athletes that need soccer equipment are living in orphanages and said “Project-Soccer for Haiti” will ensure the equipment gets to these Special Olympic participants.
“The key is that with Mahar’s contacts, the equipment gets to the ‘little people,’” Scraba said. “Not your elite athletes, but your athletes that really need skill development.”
Scraba said it is interesting that the event is taking place at the same time Pope Francis is visiting the United States. She said she hopes students will remember his teachings of humility and compassion and consider what they can do for their neighbor.
Abby Maiello, a senior player who will present at the 78th Annual NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conference on behalf of the women’s soccer team’s involvement with Special Olympics, said she takes any opportunity to pass on her knowledge and passion for soccer to others.
“It is important because not only are we developing as soccer players in our four years, we’re developing as people,” Maiello said.
The program will help the university students from Haiti to realize there are people beyond their borders who care about them, Scraba said.
Scraba also talked about the domino effect in acts of compassion and said she hopes the Haitian university students at Bonaventure will be the initiators to help start programs or assist in Special Olympics when they return home.
mericlje13@bonaventure.edu
